my friends and I went here for lunch and it was the best decision!! Food was amazing. hospitality from owner/worker was amazing. 10/10 recommend!!! read more

This place has some of the best gyros in Indy!! The owner is the cutest and most humble guy. 10/10 would recommend

The best gyros in Indianapolis hands down! Excellent service, beautiful decor, and a wonderful business to support. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Gyro Gyro or Shawarma Plate with Hummus or rice & salad! Absolutely amazing! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

We enjoyed falafel, gyros and hummus on a Sunday afternoon. Staff was friendly and attentive. We enjoyed our lunch as it was some of the best gyros we have had. read more

I almost about to give 5 . Ambiance- its okay, booths are cute Employee- They're okay. Not too accomodating but they're not rude so its okay Food- its good but I think Middle eastern foods are little bit more stronger when it comes to taste and I wish foods are little bit more spicy. We even ask for some chilli sauce We ordered Sahara mixed grill and beef shawarma -Sahara mixed grill- I like it but I wish its more tasty and spicy -beef shawarma-its good but not the best -hummus- nothing special Non-alcoholic beer (strawberry flavor) My husband loves it he said it taste like pop. I like it also its not that sweet. Hot tea-I like it. read more

See all

I was in Indianapolis for business, and I yelped for restaurants in the area, and this place stood out. We were a group of three, we ordered the mixed grill platter and an order of gyros, the food was really good, it was fresh, the meat was tender and the gyros sauce was amazing. Besides the food the décor was interesting, and the restaurant was clean. Seems like it was a father and son running the place, they were very friendly. I definitely like this place and highly recommend it. read more

See all

Amazing find! My bf is from India and he said the half chicken Tikka is the best tandoori chicken he's had in the United States. The chicken shishtawook was also really good. The dining area is cute and clean, staff is wonderful. This is our new Mediterranean restaurant of choice! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Half chicken Tikka... Half destroyed - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

The customer service was great! Fast! Friendly! Food was fresh! Definitely will go back again. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Lamb chops with rice - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Food is always delicious and service is great! Usually pretty quiet inside and easy to talk.

Try the Shawarma: chicken and lamb are both amazing options. The gyro and samosas are both also great. The desserts are divine, and the service keeps me coming back every time. Not to mention extremely affordable in a day in age when prices are on the rise. read more

Excellent food and service and all at affordable prices! The decor and fancy coffee cup are also fun! I'm glad I checked this place out!

I got takeout from Sahara yesterday around 8 pm. It was not busy at the time, one other person waiting for takeout and one couple eating in. I was told my wait would be 10 minutes or less but I ended up waiting 25-30 minutes. My boyfriend got the gyro and he was impressed. It had a lot of meat and toppings and had a great flavor. My friend and I both ordered the chicken schwarma. The meat had a great flavor; however, we were both a little disappointed with the toppings. My friends had one slice of lettuce and mine didn't have much more. I was also hoping for a little more garlic sauce. Overall, I was disappointed with the service but the food was good so I may try it again. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Great mediterranean join with delicious food and very reasonable prices. We've been getting food from here via Postmates and it's been awesome. Always quick and easy. The only downside is they run out of baklava very qiuckly, so if you have a sweet tooth order early! read more

I had never been here before and, to be honest, I was a little disappointed when I arrived because I thought it was a nice restaurant and it turned out to be a bit less formal. However, I'm very glad I went because the food and service were terrific. Probably the best humus I've ever had. The Turkish coffee was also incredible. I will definitely come back here. read more

Delicious food, kind staff, and reasonable prices! The baklava is amazing! My spouse ordered the shwarma and said it was the best he had in the states. read more

7pm on a Wed night. Empty save 2 other people. "Um sorry we are out of labneh." Ok that's why we came here. There isn't exactly an abundance of labneh in the area. Fine. Hummus, tabbouleh and a chicken kebab platter. Not gonna lie, pretty good. So we order the Ozi specialty which it seemed would come with chicken and lamb. It was priced as such. The server didn't bother to ask chicken OR lamb and assumed chicken. Wrong. When we asked it to be lamb she said, "I think we are out of lamb." The vibe was very off in this place, I won't be back. read more

I'm a sucker for baba ghanoush. And soup. Therefore, I am delighted to announce that Sahara offers both, deliciously prepared, and quite a bit more. My sister and I split the Sahara Vegetarian Combo Plate, which included falafel, hummus, baba ghanoush, several different delicately flavored salads, and two stuffed pitas. Ordering the combo was a fabulous plan, because we got to sample so many different things, all of which were amazing. We also each ordered a bowl of lentil soup, which was accompanied by crispy pita bites, and was really fabulous. My husband ordered the Falafel Sandwich which arrived with perfect grill marks and french fries. Although the food alone more than earns Sahara its 5 star review, it was the dedication of the staff that really impressed us. Our server was kind, patient, and more than willing to check with the kitchen when we peppered him with questions about the ingredients in some of the dishes. When we encountered a slight hiccup during the payment process they went above and beyond to help us out. Sahara is my new favorite place for baba ghanoush, lentil soup, and excellent service. Baba ghanoush, I'll be back for you. read more

The food is delicious! The atmosphere is really nice. The ingredients were fresh, and the baklava was incredible! We all had leftovers. Great place! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Gyro - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I was pleasantly surprised when I ate in this restaurant. For a Broad Ripple restaurant, it was pretty laid-back and easy going, which is a quality I appreciate when I go out to eat. I was also surprised to find it was a family restaurant, which added to the modesty of the place. When it comes to the ambiance, the place looks stunning. You can see the clear Mediterranean/Middle Eastern aesthetic from the wallpaper to the lights, and there are sculptures placed on the wall that make the place look great and authentic. No complains when it comes to the service - the family was kind and helpful, despite being a bit quiet. As an immigrant myself, I completely understand how challenging it can be to communicate at times, so this did not throw me off at all. The staff made me feel as if I was eating at a friend's place. Last, the food was solid. Decent prices, great taste. I ordered a gyro and it was very reminiscent of the gyros I would have in Thessaloniki in Greece. My friend ordered a falafel sandwich and she was pleased with it as well. We both will definitely be stopping by Sahara again. read more

See all

So good don't miss Sahara Restaurant The garlic sauce was delicious. The chicken was tender and seasoned perfectly. Can't wait to eat there again. read more

We had a great Mother's Day dinner here. I wanted to try something different so I picked this. I am so glad I did. The food was really good. The owner was super proud of what he makes. We tried Turkish coffee and he gave us tea that I can only describe as beautiful. The presentation, taste and smell was beautiful. We will be back. Only advise I can give is ..he may want to get some help because he is about to get busy :) read more

I ordered the beef sharma and it was delightful! We also ordered the veggie plate, which was also good. Very sweet service! Doesn't check on you often but it's okay. Food is really good thank you! So happy they also have garlic sauce! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Beef sharma no tomatoes - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

This is my favorite place. The older man who works there is the nicest man. I come here very often the food is amazing and i will continue to come back again and again cause of how nice the workers are read more

Food was 4/10. It was super duper salty, almost hard to eat. Salad was good, but small. They only serve bottled water- no regular water. Service was good. Food took a lot longer to prepare than most other Mediterranean restaurants, but seemed freshly prepared. read more

Yum. Food here is aggressively spiced (just the way I like it). The dining area is tastefully done (nary a camel in sight) and is pleasant place to spend the evening. read more

They gave us stale food and food was really smelly. We had been to numerous Mediterranean restaurants but never tasted stale fo. When asked they told that this is a normal smell but it was disgusting and we just left. I am not going back to this place ever. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

COME HERE. that is literally all I can say. If you are in the mood for gyros, shawarma, drunk food, lunch food. Come in. This is honesty an amazing restaurant with incredible food. Not to mention the hospitality. We moved here in July, came here once off of a recommendation and fell in love. Now we somehow end up here every Friday/Saturday for the food and to say hello to the staff/owner. You will not be sorry, give the place a shot and I promise you will be back. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Gyro and chicken shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

This is my favorite place to get authentic gyros. The hummus and gyro both had really great flavors! The restaurant has a chill atmosphere. My hummus and warm pita bread were the best! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Gyros Sandwich and Hummus - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

After months of waiting, I finally get to review the newest middle eastern restaurant in Broad Ripple! Tonight was their opening night and I was probably one of the first 3 customers. Fully staffed, I was greeted and helped immediately. With the name Sahara and shawarma platters on the menu, clearly this was middle eastern food. Here's the real test...when I asked where the recipes were from, the owner responded, "Jordan". Hallelujah! Not just another "generic" middle eastern answer. Based on this, I had extremely high hopes. The restaurant is set up to easily be take-out or sit down. Operating on a limited menu until next week, there was still a full array of choices. I decided to try to beef shawarma meal. The meal included an array of pickled vegetables and french fries. While I waited, they offered me a drink (even though I didn't order one). Nice touch! As I watched them carefully construct my meal, there were about 4 or 5 people working on it. Clearly, they wanted to be sure everyone was trained and that the orders were completed correctly. Once it was all packed, they threw in a complementary dessert as well and thanked me for my business as I walked out. Nice people and great care put into the food. But who cares about all that if the food isn't good right?! OK...on to the part that matters. Check out the picture I posted. The to-go trays are so cute and neatly ordered. The shawarma sandwich was wrapped in lavash instead of a pita (again, big kudos!) and true to the authentic Jordanian style, was mostly meat throughout. I was seriously worried there would be a bunch of lettuce or something lame inside. Nope. Nothing but well seasoned, freshly carved shawarma. Simply put, this might be the best shawarma sandwich I've had in Indy! Remember, this is Jordanian food, so do not expect this to taste greek. Although you will draw similarities to food and spices from Greece or Lebanon, the flavors are different. Go in with an open mind, taste the food and try not to walk out saying, "That didn't taste like the gyro I got at XXX place". Trust when I say, the food is good and the meat is well seasoned and kickin with flavor. I honestly can not wait to go back and try more of their menu. The location is right on Broad Ripple avenue between all the bars so if they choose to be open late, this could be Broad Ripple's answer to the amazing Halal carts that line the streets of Manhattan. Good people, great location and great food. read more

Sahara Restaurant - To go menu - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

So I stumbled into this place on Saturday when LAVA in Broadripple was too packed (I guess the secret is out). I was still in the mood for middle-eastern cuisine so I was heading towards the tiny Gyro Joint when I came across Sahara. They opened about a week ago, and the place was rather empty as I'm sure the word has not spread. The decor inside when you walk in is a bit confusing as they have landmarks from all around the world, but clearly the place is middle-eastern. It looks like the place is setup for 2 options, carry out directly from the counter Jimmy John's style, or sit down restaurant style. We chose to sit down. The menu had plenty of options, and all the things you'd expect. Hummus, Baba Ganosh, Falafel, Shawarma, Gyro, and Kabobs. We started with an appetizer plate that came with about 7 different types of dip, a few falafel balls and some bread stuffed with cheese. Everything was perfect. The 4 of us devoured this plate and ordered an extra side of Falafel since it was so tasty. For entrees, we ordered a mixed grill that two people shared, I had a Shawarma Sandwich, and my fiance ordered a falafel sandwich. Being the insatiable foodie that I am, I tried everyone's meal :) WOW...I was shocked, I honestly could not find anything wrong with anyone's food. It was all great. They even brought us 2 desserts for free to try and spread the word about them. I honestly could not tell you the names of these desserts unfortunately but one was made from Rice and the other was very much like a Baklava. Both good, but I preferred the Baklava like dessert (even ordered an additional one. The best part? The place was absurdly cheap. The 4 of us, ordering 2 appetizers, 3 entrees (one of which was for 2) and a dessert...our bill came out to $42. What a steal! The service was also perfection, but I'm not sure it had to do with server skill as much as the fact we were the only table. Time will tell as this place gets busier. Either way, we were so blown away by taste, quality, value and service that we will be back for sure. I hope everything keeps up with this place to become a staple in Broadripple. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Appetizer Plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Purchased the falafel wrap and a side of rice. No complaints here on either item. Nicely priced with a good portion of food. Service was good too. This is my new to go place for my falafel wraps now. read more

This was my first time here and I drove from Greenwood to try this Turkish restaurant. I love turkish food and have eaten at several in the central Indiana area. I went on a Saturday afternoon and they did not have the buffet going, which I was hoping for. So, instead I ordered off the menu. They have a few entrees, but mostly sandwiches and smaller/lunch-type portions. I ordered the chicken schwarma meal which came with fries and a drink for $8.99. We also got pita bread, olive oil, pita chips, and pickled veggies complimentary at the table. The food was good. Very flavorful and delicious. Even though we came during an off time (2-4p), they still had steady business. I'm hoping to get back and try their buffet. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Chicken schwarama meal $8.99 - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The good thing about this place is its in Broad Ripple. When I first walked in the service was good. I was greeted with multiple smiles and the waitress was friendly, kept a smile on her face and held a small friendly conversation. It wasn't until the food came out that the quality went down. I ordered the gyro, which wasn't bad except the fact that it came out cold and she said "it came straight from the oven." They did however take it back and bring out a new one, but it came out faster then my previous sandwich so I'm pretty sure it wasn't fresh,probably just microwaved the meat and slapped it back on my sandwich(not sure) My friend ordered the spicy chicken zinger and it was flavorless, order dipping sauce for it. And it wasn't even busy. I would rate friendliness a 5 Quality of food 3 Decor 5 read more

See all

Excellent service and high quality food without breaking the bank! The hummus is hand made gyros are amazing!!!!! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Hummus plate! Had an amazing dinner incredible service and high quality food without breaking the bank! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The food is excellent. We've been getting the chicken kabab shish tawook every time we come because it's so good. I would try other stuff but this is just such a good meal. Their pita bread and garlic paste are delicious. The service is great and they are very nice. read more

Great middle-eastern/Mediterranean food can be found here at Sahara. Food is all made to order and features some delicious and authentic dishes from the middle east. The falafel sandwich was quite good and I really liked like that it was served in a lavash bread wrap, a nice change of pace from your typical pita bread. We also ordered the veggie appetizer combo plate. A nice mix of falafel, baba gannoush, pita hummus, grape leaves and other staple apps from the Mediterranean region. The best were the grape leaves and baba gannoush. The owner, who was working very very hard during our entire visit, even gave us a free dessert, which was the Basbouseh--a very rich and delicious Middle Eastern sweet cake. All in all, this was an exceptionally pleasant dining experience. Will definitely be returning! read more

This is going to be a detailed review because I was REALLY unhappy but there were some decent things and overall I want family-owned businesses to succeed. So maybe the issue was just me and my friends, or maybe not. Have your own experience and decide. The visit occurred over lunch on Saturday, July 2nd. 1. Decor = beautiful 5/5 stars Greta furniture and painted walls. BUT buffet food was gone but that container was filled with water and dirty food - gross to walk past. 2. Food = from awful to decent 2/5 stars I know this is a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern restaurant but I'm unsure the country of origin for the dishes. I'm very familiar with Lebanese and Turkish food. Therefore, know that my lens with determining if I like this food could be influenced by the fact that the dishes are prepared differently than what I'm used to. However! Overall I was not happy. **Also it took 30+ min for entrees (they promised 15 min). Only 1 other table there Large Hummus: $5.95. -Hummus tasted terrible. There was a very small amount of it - laughable for $6 and a "large" size. Even worse? It was spread out on a dish and there was very little of it. But the absolute terrible part? There was a POOL OF OIL IN THE MIDDLE. Not a little oil on hummus. Just a whole kiddie pool. - As did the 4ish pieces of pita bread (dry, stale-tasting, hard, cold). Any decent place will serve soft pita bread and preferably warmed. I felt like the pita bread legit was Kroger brand. - a small size is $3.99. Given how little was in the large I'd hate to see the small size! :0 - VERDICT: DO NOT ORDER Baba Ganoush: $3.99 - Tasty! Had a smoky flavor to it. I typically do not like this dish, by I did enjoy this. The pita bread even tasted better - unsure if it was more fresh or just the pita tasted better with this dish than hummus. - VERDICT: ORDER Falafel: $2.99-ish - Soooo, purchasing this was confusing. Under "Appetizers" they have two sections for falafel with different prices. For one, which my server said was smaller, it was $1.99 for 6 or $3.99 for 12. There was another one where the pieces were larger and thus more expensive ($2.99/6, $5.99/12). I ordered the small $1.99 6 pieces. There was an issue, to be covered in the section below "customer service" - Taste was terrible. The tahini it came with was alright but everyone at my table did not like it. I have had amazing falafel, I have had store bought, I have had "okay" falafel. I didn't think falafel could ever be terrible...but this was. I ate them because I was terribly hungry and it took forever for the main dish. - VERDICT: DO NOT ORDER Brides with Meat: $5.99 - description on menu: 2 whole baked pita stuffed with mixed beef and lamb + spices etc - my description: it was one stuffed pita. So, they gave us 4 pieces of pita bread with the hummus in the appetizer part of the meal. Each pita was cut in half. What I was give. Was literally one whole pita, meat on it (stuffing) and another pita laid on top. It was cut into quarters. Was that two stuffed pitas? No. Pita bread can be stuffed - as a whole piece of bread it can be sliced open and stuffed...not press two together like one is making a sandwich! The bread was baked but felt thin. The menu got my hopes up!! :( - also the stuffing? Not even an inch thick. I don't even know if I could say it was half an inch. It was VERY THIN. - it was tasty. I'll say that. - Return on investment was not there. $6 for this tiny thing? BYE FELICIA. - VERDICT: DO NOT ORDER DUE TO PRICE. BUT TASTES GOOD IF YOU DON'T MIND SPENDING MONEY Gyro: $4.99 - Friend said it was okay and she's had better at a lot of other places. - VERDICT: ORDER BUT HAVE MID TO LOW EXPECTATIONS Tomato Skewer: $1.99 for one - Friend said it was okay but he was said it didn't come on a stick. Also it was charred on one side (a good thing!) but not on other sides. He wishes it was cooked more. - VERDICT: ORDER IF YOU WANT 3. Customer Service - the younger high school-age boy behind the counter stared at us rudely at one point - Server was moderately attentive. Nice, mostly. Until... - Server incorrectly rang up my order, got a bit sassy, and then was confused. I got charged for large falafel order instead of small. Didn't realize it until after I gave her my card. When I was supposed to sign the receipt, I told her the mistake. She wanted to just give me more Falafel but I said I didn't like it and just wanted my money. She said something like she hoped I checked the new total when I went to pay for receipt version 2. It was sassy and uncalled for. Then she wanted me to sign the receipt for the more expensive order and I did just to get out of there. We had a confusing talk in circles. Literally she had no idea what to do. I was getting mad and she wasn't apologetic about this issue at all. I will be watching my credit card statement to make sure she did not overcharge me! This place needs a serious overhaul with food & service read more

See all

I've gotten takeout from Sahara a couple of times, and I still think of that gyro sandwich. It is seriously good. The falafel appetizer I had was a little on the dryer side for me. The salad was so fresh and herbaceous. Will be back soon! read more

I'm so very happy to have this family owned and operated Middle Eastern addition to our rotation of local restaurants. The restaurant, right on Broad Ripple Ave, features really good food made from scratch with fresh ingredients. We had a great experience with the wait staff as well, and the restaurant was immaculate - very clean and well-decorated. At the recommendation of our server, we began with an appetizer sampler which had a little bit of everything, including two stuffed grape leaves, flavorful baba ghanouj, a really nice fattoush, fresh tabouli, hummus, pita, and 6 pieces of falafel. We also got a couple of their sandwiches (they're probably more what I would consider a grilled wrap). The chicken shawarma was good! The sampler plus the two sandwiches may have almost been too much food for the two of us, but it was worth it to get to try everything. On top of that, the Turkish tea was delightful - sweetened hot tea with mint and a splash of rosewater. I would come back just for the tea alone! Though we didn't get dessert, the server gave us a sample of the baklava, and it was just the right amount of sweetness. Sahara is a warm and welcoming restaurant, and we'll definitely be back! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Turkish tea - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Really good food but not a good experience. Service was painfully slow and disorganized. I ordered two things and was not brought the second until well after I had finished the first. Either the server had never put in the order or someone just forgot to prepare it. It was apparent that the other tables were having service issues too. The place was not packed, but they were understaffed. Both items, chicken shawarma and muthawama, were just delicious, but small for the price. The shwarma reminded me of those big burritos you get from the grocery freezer section -- all flour and not much inside. But what was in there was great. I hope this place does well, but I am reluctant to go back. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Chicken shawarma. Delicious but small for the price. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all