My friend and I came across this tea shop by surprise. It's beautiful, vibey, chill, and has delicious food and drinks. It serves as both a hookah bar and a tea shop. It's a perfect place to take photos, talk tea, or do work. I got the hummus with pita chips, le peche smoothie, and the karkanay hot tea. Support this business! read more

Tea In Sahara - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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I was in town helping my daughter move into her dorm when she suddenly got very sick in the middle of the night. I was looking for a nearby tea house and saw that this place was about to close. I called, and the girl who answered the phone was so kind she said she would wait for us. When we arrived, the owner was extremely nice and welcoming. I ordered tea for my younger daughter, who loved both the tea and the atmosphere. I also ordered tea for my college-bound daughter who wasn't feeling well. When I explained that she was very sick and had requested tea, the owner not only brought out her drink but also made her a second one special, just for her saying he hoped she would feel better. That thoughtful gesture meant so much to us. This place is adorable, the service is amazing, and they've definitely gained another loyal customer. We'll absolutely be back. read more

Tea In Sahara - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

The food and ambiance here are good and they sometimes have live music! I like the mint tea and the falafel. Order at the register makes it casual and cozy. Service is generally fine. read more

My partner and I were randomly walking around Providence the other night. We serendipitously stumbled upon this tea shop. It looked so welcoming so, even though we were about to head out of the city, we walked in to check it out and were completely blown away. A third place that is open until 11 pm that is centered around something other than alcohol! What a concept! It is so beautifully decorated in there. The staff is warm. The tea is absolutely fantastic, served to you in cute teapots and poured with a flare. We didn't try the food but that looked tasty too. After we ordered and sat down, more and more people trickled in until the place filled up! It's clearly popular and I so desperately wish that we had something like in Boston. I will definitely be back. read more

After hearing how my friend of color was treated by a young female server, I will never go here. Shame on your staff for speaking down to your customers. My friend is one of the kindest and most respectful people I know and has been an ambassador of your business for years, trying to send you new customers every opportunity she gets. Really, really saddened by the incidents on Friday evening and hope your staff can grow from the experience. read more

The vibessss!!! Food is amazing and the Tea is incredible. The owners are so sweet too! Pls go and enjoy

This is not your average sit down restaurant. You come in, grab a menu, order, then pay and await greatness. Please note that they have bigger menu than what is on Google and Yelp. I totally forgot to take a picture of the menu. All of the food is made to order so please be patient. We ordered the Mint tea lightly sweetened and the iced Hibiscus tea. Both very good. We ordered the bakoula, baked beets, and Brie sandwich to start. Everything was delicious. The bakoula is like sautéed spinach and the baked beets are served with goat cheese and sliced almonds. You eat these both with Pita. The Brie sandwich was very good. It is served with mixed greens which are bitter but the Brie and raspberry spread pair nicely together. We also ordered the tortilla de patata which is essentially a potato and egg quiche served with cherry tomatoes. It was Very good. It's dimly lit but you can still read the menu and the Moroccan music in the background is at a respectable volume. They have a gender neutral bathroom which was nice and clean. They also have desserts and hookah. read more

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So vibey and chill. Love the atmosphere and decor. Got the Moroccan iced tea which was really refreshing and light.

As soon as you walk into Tea in Sahara you feel relaxed and welcomed. It's such a cozy atmosphere. The food, Moroccan mint tea, and Turkish coffee were all so good! read more

Tea In Sahara - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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This place only opens when the owner wants to so keep an ear out for the music playing outside. The owner is also horrible at responding to the phone or voice mails. When they do open, there isn't a line of any sort when I've been before 5 pm. I've been here twice and got the mint tea.. cold moroccan mint tea (has green tea) hit the spot with a stalk of spearmint in the cup. I've also been here a second time and got the mint without green tea that was served hot. He does pour the tea from a height to create a froth which is nice. I've only seen baklava in the pastry area and haven't seen anyone order the food here yet. read more

Tea In Sahara - Iced mint tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

I met up with a friend here today for tea and I thought it was a lovely little place. I'm not sure how I've never stumbled upon it before, but it had a nice and chill environment (lots of cute plants inside). There were a lot of seating options and although it is on street parking , there were many spots. Both my friend and I got the Moroccan mint tea except she got hers hot and I got mine cold. We both enjoyed our teas. There are some food options as well, but we were just there for some tea and conversation. I didn't see anyone smoking hookah, but overheard a customer ask an employee if they could and she said yes. Service was good as well. Overall, a nice place to take a friend to catch up on some tea with some tea read more

Came in here for a light lunch over the weekend. You can only order via mobile site here. You have to enter your table number. The table numbers are not clearly displayed, we didn't see them at all. When I approached the only staff member working, before I said a word he rudely said "table 7" and turned around before I could ask about anything else. We tried to order the appetizer trio, which looked good but there was no where to add which ones you wanted. My partner approached the only staff member (owner?) once again, and told him that there was nowhere to leave a note to specify. The owner said verbatim "well write it on a piece of paper or get the f*** out of here". When my partner explained he just wanted to know where to comment the server/owner kicked him out, walked up to the door and opened it and looked at me to motion me out. It was so unnecessary and rude. I have never been treated so rudely in my life by anyone. I have never had an issue at any restaurant or cafe like this in my life. I really could not recommend this place less. I wish I could give 0 stars. read more

Some of these reviews are.....weird. If I'm giving the benefit of the doubt, maybe just unaware of other cultures. Maybe used to walking into a shop that is not American but still has American service. This is exactly what it's like to walk into a shop in most of the MENA region. No one hounds you to be seated or stands over your head waiting for you to order. It is meant to feel like you're walking into a home or community center. The ambiance is absolutely beautiful, intricate, and cozy. I have been a regular here since moving to Rhody two years ago. I wanted a place that reminds me of home and I have found it. The food always hits the spot and I've tried almost everything on the menu by now given how many times I've been here. There's an item for every mood I'm in and the hookah hits every time. When friends and family visit me from out of town/state/country, this is a must on our to-do list. The wait staff goes out of their way given this is not full service. I've people watched first dates, study sessions, and friendly reunions here. The wait staff is also courteous about us staying til closing and lets us slowly dwindle after closing too. I've truly never had a negative experience here. I love the music choice; it transports me to the MENA region. Most menu items are halal and there's plenty of vegan options. You can replace bread with fries or rice if you don't eat gluten. And for people mentioning their hours, the shop owners have a life outside the restaurant so this isn't the only thing they do. If they don't answer the phone or it's a Monday/Tuesday (which is dead af in Providence), then they're probably closed. Whenever they're open, they answer the phone and typically close at 11pm. It's not that complicated. I loooooove Tea in Sahara and will keep coming. read more

Tea In Sahara - a table with dishes of food on it - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Great ambiance, inconsistent hours, good to study for a while. Nice cozy back room to talk or study too.

A few weeks ago, I decided to try this place on a lazy afternoon. There were many people seated not consuming anything just chilling. I was seated next to a young gentleman who was absorbed by his books. I asked if he was a regular at this place, he told me that he was part Moroccan and missing his Mom's cooking he decided to give it a try. His dorms was far and he barely finished a shift at the Hospital. He told me that he was studying at Brown University (Ivy League School) to be a future Heart and thoracic surgeon. We were still talking when a rude waitress came to the gentleman rushing him to order. He told her that he was not decided yet but he planned to order food and drinks, taking his time to study. She told him that he would have to leave the place the soon he finishes his food. He said : "ok give me some minutes to order". She went straight to the kitchen to report to what seemed to be the owner of the restaurant. He stormed out of the kitchen coming fuming already at the gentleman and told him straight up : " Listen piece of shit, you gonna order and the soon you finish, I'll make sure to kick you out of this place myself.." The gentleman was jaws dropped, he contained himself and replied : "why are you driving my business away ? Where is the legendary Moroccan hospitality ? You don't seem to be a real Moroccan restaurant, I don't recognize many items on the menu.." he didn't finish talking when the owner grabbed him by the chest, cornered him with the fist in the air, shouting :"I'm gonna beat you up, get the fuck out of my restaurant" The student picked up his books and pride and left the place with tears in his eyes and very hurt emotionally. I was shocked and I also left illico presto. Assuming that a student is always broke is wrong. We don't judge a book by the cover, last time I checked, the tuition for Brown University was around 100K/year.. Nobody deserves to be humiliated publicly and treated poorly, less than ever a future Heart Surgeon. Shame on the Owner of this restaurant, he should be sent to some serious Anger Management classes. The customers comfortably seating there who didn't react, I hope they never face such a humiliating situation. I will never set a foot again at this place. read more

The ambience is nice and all very cozy but lack of service honestly. When you pay they ask you to add a tip like I have no problem on leaving a tip the problem here is you won't get good service. We ordered tea and a Turkish coffee. Not bad, however, when we ordered desserts we didn't get utensils until we asked. No problem. When we were done and getting ready to leave the counter lady ask us to clean our plates and put it in our bin. Really? I would never come back here again. I'm a service kinda gal. This is not for me so disappointing read more

Tea In Sahara - Turkish coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Love the vibe, in the back there are comfy benches to sit on, I've had a few food things there like shakshuka and sandwiches but I always get mint tea which is to die for read more

the owner of this place threaten*d my partner's life for accidentally pulling into their driveway while picking me up from a tea date with a friend. based on the other reviews this seems to be a common occurrence, so one would think that they would use their problem solving skills to resolve the issue another way....but no, they'll just threat*n you with g*n v*olence instead! the girl working there has a horrible attitude as well. they couldn't stop at atrocious customer service either.... the drinks were subpar and the table was so wobbly that my friend's tea + my coffee spilled several times. finally got to visit after my previous FIVE failed attempts to visit (shop closed during listed business hours each time) and now i deeply regret it. Aleppo Sweets is 10 times better-tasting and, best of all, they don't threat*n people for making honest mistakes. read more

This place is aesthetically quite pleasing but the food isn't anything to call home about. I have also never had a worse experience with staff at a restaurant before. They do not have clear business hours and workers are sitting and on their phones as opposed to attending to customers. I was finishing a snack that I had brought from the outside and the staff member told me "You cannot have outside food in here. It's actually very rude." I immediately started putting it away as I know that to be a reasonable policy that varies from establishment to establishment. I closed the box and put it in my bag and literally took the last bite that had originally been in my hand and was told by a different employee"actually you can leave." I absolutely understand a no outside food policy, I just thought given that the establishment was not even open when they said they would be and there was no one to take our orders or attend to our needs as customers that this place was probably much more casual in nature. I was clearly wrong. I could understand if I was aggressive or spoke back in anyway but being kicked out of an establishment for a bite of food is an extreme over-reaction. A better way to handle this would be 1.) to have a sign that says no outside food or drink 2. To state "I am sorry but you cannot have outside food here"(as a matter of fact) and 3. Look at the whole context(I put the food away). Reading Georgia's review from below it seems that there is a particular staff member that is highly reactive and takes things too personally. It makes sense since the establishment wasn't open until hours later that he probably has mental health issues. read more

The good: the atmosphere was nice inside, though it would be nice if there was a heater outside during covid. The tea tasted good. The bad: we didn't love the coffee. Also, the owner yelled at us for bringing a birthday cake to eat with our tea/coffee. He told us "it's my birthday every day." He then passive aggressively delayed half our order, then gave us the teas without lids, claiming they had run out (we saw several people walk out with drinks with lids after). Over all, not coming back here. read more

Finally went by when it was actually open and gave a try. Good food and tea, if quirky service. Nice atmosphere.

Website and Yelp says they're open for pick-up and dine-in during the Coronavirus. I went on a Tuesday around 5pm to try some Moroccan tea and see if I can explore the Moroccan cuisine. As soon as I got there, the door was locked. There was a man and a woman in there, the man (assuming he's the owner) told me he was going to open on Wednesday. I say ok and leave. I came back on Wednesday. I want to try this place, something unique in Providence and I drive from Narragansett. I called before I came and messaged them on FB, and they said they are opening around 6pm. Once I arrived, I was happy to see that the lights were on but the door was still locked. I sat in my car for twenty minutes (by now it's 6:30) and there was still no sign. I called and called, no answer. I drove a circle around the block (now it's 6:50) the lights are still on but the door is locked. There is another man in front of me who also wants to get in, he walks around the building, no sign. Honestly, such a disappointment and a disgrace. This is no way to operate a business, especially if you serve food from a unique cuisine in the area. I would think it's very very disrespectful to a culture to represent their food in a business, who's owner does not follow their word and not follow any scheduling policies. I guess I'm not the only one who has experienced this. read more

Quaint little quiet place on Governor street that takes you away into a different world. Perfect place to get some work done or to just chill while sipping on some freshly brewed Moroccan tea. The owner is friendly and helpful and will serve the tea himself. Got the Moroccan mint tea which seems to be most popular and was light and refreshing. Some of them have caffeine and some don't. A small pot costs about 3.25$ and is plenty sufficient for one person, fills up the small glass 3-4 times maybe. There's medium and large sized pots as well for around 4-5$ as well. I didn't visit the outdoor seating seating but I've heard there's hookah options available. Free wifi and plenty of street parking. Not a lot of indoor seating for groups I guess. Plenty of great food options that are reasonably priced that I didn't get to try. Overall great place for tea/coffee and also if you're looking for a different experience. Would def recommend coming here. read more

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After I read the reviews I am afraid to step in this place...Even if the foods are good, I don't need to experience uncomfortable situation.

Great tea, snacks, and environment! The staff are very friendly, too. I'd also say the prices are reasonable.

Comfy, idiosyncratic, make the place yours...go there to hear music when it's happening.

I am new to Providence and have brought friends and family here because the food and atmosphere is wonderful and unique. That is why it saddens me to write this review. I have been wanting to take my mother here for some time and was able to bring her for dinner this evening. I asked the young woman behind the counter a few questions about the menu since we are not familiar with Moroccan food. Her attitude and response was most sarcastic--in fact the rudest I have ever experienced. When I said "excuse me?" the owner of the restaurant came over, I asked him about the particular dish I was interested in. He responded abruptly by stating: "just read the text on the menu, move out of the line and come back when you are ready." ???? I motioned my mother to get up to leave the restaurant immediately and went back to let the owner know how was the behavior rude. His response: "get out of my restaurant." I noticed two other reviews had similar complaints, one of which reports the owner stating: "write it on a piece of paper or get the f*** out of here" for asking about how to specify a menu item. My review is validated. These people do not deserve to stay in business. read more

Food was good. Owner and staff amazingly rude. Really incredibly rude to us, even after I'd given a generous tip. We will never return.

The food is incredible and the owner is extremely warm and professional. A wonderful, relaxing space for lunch, dinner or a lovely pot of mint tea. read more

As a Middle-easterner in Rhode Isand, Tea in Sahara is my favorite spot to go to. I like to call it 'my study spot'. The decor makes you feel like you're in Marrakech. It's quaint and so different from the other tea spots and hookah lounges in the area. I always get the double apple hooka, morrocan mint tea and baklava--it's become my usual order. Every single friend i've brought here with me loved it as well, and it has become their favorite spot too! The owner, Mohamed is hilariously honest and funny. One of the main reasons we all love coming here is for his witty quips. Definitely a must try in PVD! read more

Tea In Sahara - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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A nice and quite little place. Street parking. Place is little cozy, you can enjoy French or Moroccan music in the background and sip on great tea. I have not tried the food yet, but the tea and backlavas are pretty good. Been there few times since I learned about it and will be brave again soon. The mint tea is awesome. read more

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It's good Moroccan food. Recommend The chicken and the Moroccan tea. The interior design is giving, V pretty

The Moroccan Mint Tea is light and sweet. Bagel with Jelly and Butter was perfect for a cold day. The decor was comfy and the sounds were relaxing. The air had the hint of a hookah. Staff was great. In the front window just watching the neighborhood go by.... What a nice way to end a day. This place is a gem! Update: I've returned again. THIS time I had the Mint Tea (it's just so damn amazing) but I changed it up and ordered the lentil soup and some fresh/oily goodness hummus with freshly made chips to dip. The lentil soup was simple but filling... like a purée. Warm and rich. I also tried the Kefta which to the best of my taste buds knowledge were spiced ground lamb meatballs. Saffron. All served in a small hot skillet with an egg in the middle. It honestly may have been the most delightfully spicy and flavorful dish I've had so far this year. I mean it was THAT amazing. Can't wait to go back again and try another dish. The host of flavors and richness of the food is unique. It really is a hidden gem over on Fox Point. read more

Yelp doesn't let me do half star ratings, but I'd say this is 3.5/5. I really wanted to love this place but I unfortunately thought the food was just ok. I tried chicken tagine for the first time in Cambridge, MA and thought it was soooo delicious, and started looking up recipes and YouTube videos for how to replicate it myself. So I was very happy to find a tagine dish here too. I ordered the lemon chicken tagine because I don't like dark meat and this appeared to be breast meat. While the chicken was fine, it was not what I expected. I was expecting more complex flavors and a thick sauce with some vegetables. There weren't any vegetables, and upon re-reading the menu, I guess I shouldn't have expected any vegetables since they weren't listed. The sauce however was very watery. I don't remember seeing any preserved lemon but perhaps it was there and I'm forgetting. This dish reminded me a lot of the chicken curry that my mom and aunts make all the time (Indian, not Moroccan), so because it reminds me of their food, I definitely can't say it's bad, and I'd probably even say it's good I'm a different context. it's just not what I expected. Given that it was just chicken with no veggies and there was so much sauce, I wish that rice or couscous was served with it. It was served with pita bread but I didn't know what to do with all that sauce. I'm also just not a big pita fan in general. I saved this for my boyfriend who I thought would enjoy it and he did. He said it tasted really good, so take my review with a grain of salt. I think my reaction is more so just because I thought I would be getting something slightly different, but the chicken itself was tender and had a nice flavor. But in my head it's chicken curry. Only now as I'm writing this review do I see that there was a separate Berber Chicken Tagine menu item. Perhaps I should have ordered that instead. I will give this dish a try sometime in the future and see how it is. Maybe this is the type of tagine that I was more expecting, although I'm not sure If it's chicken breast or some other part. I ordered the chakchouka as well - it was again ok. Not the best, not the worst. I typically make my own shakshouka and I think mine is better and more flavorful, so I won't be ordering this one again. But this was alright. I again wish it came with some sort of grain to eat with the sauce. I thought the samosas were bad. Bland and not the right flavor combo at all unfortunately. I ended up throwing these out. I also got la pêche smoothie (the peach and mango one) and thought that was great. I drank it super fast after a series of long, hot days with lots of manual labor. It was very refreshing. I got the churros and a baklava piece as well. I ate the churros that same day and thought they were great, and love that it was served with Nutella. I left the baklava for the next day, but it was unfortunately stale by the time I went to eat it. I didn't know baklava couldn't sit like that for a while so that's my bad. it tasted nice though, I just didn't finish it because I just didn't want to eat stale baklava. Regarding the hours everyone else has been commenting on, I initially placed an order on ubereats and was eagerly waiting, only for see that the order got canceled 1-1.5 hours after placing the order once my driver arrived at the restaurant because "the restaurant closed before the driver could arrive". This was at 6 pm so I'm not sure if they just hadn't opened yet or weren't open at all that day, but it's unfortunate that the communication isn't there to prevent simple issues like this from happening. I was starving and had to wait even longer to then get food from somewhere else. I was working through a tight deadline so couldn't leave to pick up food myself. I also feel bad for the driver because then she didn't get paid and just wasted her time. After this happened, I emailed the owner to ask him what his hours were because I was very eager to try this food as I had been craving chicken tagine - I have not received a response back. But I did catch him a couple days later and that's when I placed the new order. The owner seems very nice so I feel bad leaving a meh review, I just did not enjoy this food and was hoping for something different. read more

Wow, so I have always wanted to stop by and well I finally made it happen. This was a fantastic evening. They have plenty of seating, a great place to get some work done, grab a bite, or sip some tea with friends. I did all of the above. We sampled several things from the menu and honestyly enjoyed every single dish. The grape leaves... I hate grape leaves, but not here. They were delicious. Totally changed my opinion of them. We got several pots of tea, some sweet, some minty some fruity. All unique and delicious. The back lounge area was the perfect spot for us to gather, we drank tea, ate delicious food and had great conversation. I highly reccommend checking this place out. read more

What a perfect hole in the wall! The food was outstanding and full of flavor. And they even had live entertainment when we visited. read more

Tea In Sahara - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

This is a sacred space for my best friend and I. We come here to wind down and catch up over delicious tea (which is offered in varying teapot sizes) and a hookah. There are lots of students studying here, so we do our best not to laugh *too* hard during our meetups, but we do respect the very chill vibe of the room. The ambiance and decor is divine. The house is fabulous, always so graceful and so relaxed. Just the absolute coolest. The green tea has a sweetness to it and is a total superstar. We just cannot make a visit without a taste of it. When we've finished our tea (and maybe a second pot) we will walk any dishes over to the dish area, kinda cafeteria style. I just love that community vibe that is displayed here. We'll keep coming back for as long as they will have us! read more

Ambiance here is great. I've met with folks here a couple times to do interviews. Lots of tables. You order your food at the counter and then they'll deliver your order to your table. Only had the teas which are incredible. They have plenty of options for a vegan or vegetarian too that won't disappoint. Oh and they have late hours which is great if you need to meet a writing deadline. read more

Tea In Sahara - Large Moroccan mint tea. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Went in asked for assistance with the online menu, got a curt answer, and no help.. what can I say, this is the fact. In the past the mint tea was good, this time wanted to order but online was only available and, procedure wasn't not clear and much more work than just a simple order to the counter. read more

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Tea in Sahara serves the ambrosia that is Moroccan mint tea. They could not possibly dilute the heavenly mixture with more hot water. I was wrong. See, Tea in Sahara is amazing because it's like a casual summer fling- a little flaky or busy, depending on the day (don't even think about getting here before 11:30) but always, always chill and with no expectations (except that you clean up after yourself... the owner is an all right guy but he's not your mother). The tea takes a little time to brew but like all good things, it's worth the wait. Tea and Sahara is a lesson to those who expect instant gratification- it seems to say, "Slow down. Sit for a minute. Breathe. Don't get too crazy." As for the Oliver Twist portion sizes, turns out I'd just been eating the wrong thing. Eating only eggplant and red peppers isn't sensible for people who forgot to eat breakfast or lunch... I feel like that's obvious. Rather, if you're hungry, Tea and Sahara sells a brie sandwich for $4.25 that will knock your socks off- brie, aioli, apricot preserves, and greens on the best rosemary focaccia you've ever had. This beats out most places in the area for something gourmet with a hint of gluttony. The goat cheese and fig sandwich is a close runner-up. If I just want a little something, I usually get grape leaves ($4.50). Baklava. I would give my life for layers of phyllo dripping with honey and stuffed with walnuts. Here, you can just throw down a few bucks instead. Try it with an espresso pulled from Tea and Sahara's beautiful La Marzocco. Once again, I don't smoke hookah but I do know it smells absolutely divine in here when the sugar is caramelizing. They have a ton of different flavours to choose from and the smoke never gets too intense because there's a lounge and a patio in the back. If you're sick, come here before bed (n.b.: if you're really sick, stay away; no one in the food and beverage industry wants your norovirus). Mohamed will make you an off-menu pot of ginger and mint and honey that will fix your digestion, clear up a stuffy nose, and have you sleeping like a baby. Support local businesses and places other than your house that let you take your shoes off and sit on pillows on the floor. This may not be your living room, but I swear it's the next best thing. read more