After riding the cog railway, I stopped in town to do a little shopping and stumbled upon this small Arab restaurant--and I'm so glad I did. The food was absolutely delicious and full of authentic Arabic flavors. The falafel was a standout: fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. I also really enjoyed the chicken--it was seasoned well and very satisfying. The beef wasn't my favorite, but it was still good, and the rice paired nicely with everything. The service was really friendly and welcoming, and even though the place was quite busy, the food came out fresh and well prepared. That alone tells me this spot is popular for a reason. Overall, a great find and a perfect stop after a day of exploring. I would definitely come back to eat here again. read more

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There was a variety of choices available on the menu and our food was served within a reaonable time. We had a party of 6 and we all enjoyed our food. The Cafe is very casual and although it is small, we were seated quickly. I recomend this Cafe for a delicious meal. read more

Perfect for lunch in Manitou Springs!! The staff are very friendly and welcoming, plenty of seating inside and a few outside tables as well. They have ice cream, smoothies, lattes, and frapps. The Greek food is the BEST, and the portions are generous. Come hungry or leave with a box!! read more

Wow, went in blind and I see the light. Excellent Lamb and beef shawarma lettuc, peppers, tomato's Excellent seasoned fries. Falafel sandwich lettuce tomato tahini. Our server Kristen was wonderful. This was one of the best Mediterranean restaurants I've ever been to I would come back. Everything was fresh and so tasty. Highly recommend. read more

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Buyer beware. Prices are more than double what Yelp shows. The food was mediocre and quite overpriced. My husband ordered the lamb plate and soon after experienced stomach cramps and diarrhea within half an hour of eating. I had the Sahara salad and a side of falafel. We both drank sage tea. The total bill was $84, which included a 20% tip for our friendly waiter. That's absurd for a quick bite at a hole-in-the-wall café -- we could have enjoyed a nicer dinner at a more upscale restaurant for a little more money. Very disappointing. We won't be going back. They really need to update their prices on Yelp; it's very misleading. read more

This small place is family run and has delicious food with friendly service. We tried the beef gyro plate and the Sahara salad which were both very large portions and very tasty. They have ice cream available which we didn't have room for. No alcohol drinks are available but that was fine with us. Definitely recommend eating here if you want authentic Mediterranean food. read more

Never ever going back here. The worst service ever. The food was good but took forever. The waitress was super rude. Highly don't recommend.

Nice little spot in Manitou Springs, that isn't just burgers. When we walked in the whole place filled up, one waitress trying to keep up. She was sweet but so soft spoken. We did have to wait but once the order was in the food came out quickly. Not the best ever Mediterranean food, but definitely tasty. Great size portions. We ordered way too much. The Turkish coffee was delicious. read more

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Incredibly rude employees and filthy bathrooms... I'm not sure why they want an atmosphere that is so unwelcoming, but I am not going going back to find out... read more

We were starving after our pikes peak drive. Glad Google recommended this one. Sage tea - must have!!! The aroma , the flavour and the instant relaxation after a sip was all we needed. Falafels were super crunchy on the outside and soft ( but not dry) on the inside. The chicken was perfectly cooked, not dry not oily, just perfect. The hummus was probably the best I ever had! The best part was that they did not add olive oil at the top for aesthetics or to make it creamy. Hummus was perfect without all the extra effort. They toasted the pita with their special herbs and sesame seeds. Mr. Also had their freshly made baklawa and was highly impressed. Finding such high quality good place on a vacation adds some extra dose of happiness read more

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Location : PRIME! Serving Sizes : Healthy Service : Helpful, quick, attentive Food : fresh & delicious Mediterranean flavors A great lunch spot while in Manitou Springs! Unassuming, but worth the stop in. read more

The Sahara Cafe - Sahara Sandwich Gyro Meal - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

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We had a wonderful dinner with a very friendly and attentive waitress serving us! Chicken plate is big enough for sharing. It's cute and quit and very nice dining environment. read more

After a long day's drive to our vacation getaway in Manitou Springs, we were tired and hungry. We somehow found ourselves at this Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Manitou, and let me tell you just how glad I was about it. The menu had so many options, but we ended up choosing the gyros. I must say, I've never had a gyro as flavorful as what I was served here. It was spectacular, both my lamb gyro and my buddy's chicken gyro. To finish it off, we tried the in-house-made almond baklava, and even though we were completely full, we were able to find room after a taste of it. The ambiance is that of a local restaurant, with warmth and a fun style within. It feels clean and inviting. The waitress who served us was very kind and helpful with recommendations. You can tell they take pride in the meals they craft, all the way down to the presentation of the meals. I can see myself coming back here (perhaps even on this same trip) if just to get more baklava!! read more

Food was great and was prepared fairly quickly We had a few things wrong with the order but it was corrected read more

The Sahara gyro was really good. The server also gave us some free waters which was nice of them. The restaurant looked pretty nice and I felt relaxed in there. read more

This place food is really good. I enjoyed the kabob plate. All the Mediterranean flavor you need. Well seasoned. Best falafel and tzatziki sauce I have had. read more

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Nice little Mediterranean spot in the beautiful town of manitou springs. The service was pretty nice and quick. We ordered a few items to share amongst 3: Falafel sandwich combo with fries Falafel sampler plate It was plenty of food for 3. Its obviously not the best falafels, but it's pretty solid for what you'd get here. I enjoyed the fries - they were very good. read more

The Sahara Cafe - Falafel Sampler Plate - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

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We got here right when they open for lunch. The appearance is nothing fancy. I just got a falafel wrap and it was pretty good. My husband thought his gyro was a little bland and just ok. read more

The Sahara Cafe - Falafel wrap - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

If you are in Manitou Springs, you must stop here and eat. Their food is simply amazing. The atmosphere is superb. I have always ordered the lamb Gyro and it is by far the best I've had. I was actually disappointed when I finished it. You must also try their Turkish coffee! You will not be disappointed! read more

The food is fantastic! The employees very professional and kind. I would go back again and again. My husband and I were there on vacation. Diane Farhat read more

After spending time on top of Pukes Peak it was time to come down to earth and find something good to eat near it. We found this Mediterranean gem on the main drag. So glad we did. We both ordered the falafel sandwich combo. We both got crispy seasoned fries and sage tea to round out the combo. The falafel sandwich was excellent. The falafel was nice and moist and had a good blend of veggies and sauces on top wrapped in a pita. The crispy seasoned fries were amazing. I just wish there were more. They were so worth it. The sage tea sounded weird at first but our waitress was great and brought us a sample to try. It was unique in a good way. We got it iced and it was just freshly made. It has cinnamon and sage and black tea I believe in it. Really refreshing and different from your run of the mill black iced tea. To finish off lunch how could you go wrong with a piece of baklava to share with my hubby. They had almond, walnut, and chocolate versions. I stayed with more traditional and went with the walnut. Our waitress served it with some whipped topping. It also comes with pistachios on it. It was amazing and a great price. Actually, the entire meal was at a great price for a touristy area. The place was clean and not too loud. If we are back in the area again we will be sure to stop in again. read more

The Sahara Cafe - Sage Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

This place was a life saver! lol Ok that might be an exaggeration, but....I was a bit frantic, and had no cell service. It was about 4 minutes until I had to check-in to my SW Airlines flight. I ran in and asked the nice young man with long hair if I purchased a smoothie could he give me their Wi-Fi password quickly? He smiled and said "You don't have to buy a smoothie, I'll give you the password. No problem." So he got me logged in and I was able to check-in and get boarding group A. I then proceeded to buy a pina colada smoothie, and left a nice tip. My only regret is I didn't get his name, or make it back to try their full menu. Thanks to the employee and Sahara Cafe, you were there for me, and I'll always remember, and appreciate you. read more

The food was not authentic at all. The Tahini sauce was bitter. I ordered grilled beef and received shawarma. There were flies in my food. Won't recommend at all! read more

Ok in their defense, I have never had any bad food at this restaurant. HOWEVER! I HAVE almost ALWAYS had the WORST service!! Their beautiful restaurant is soiled with waitresses with terrible attitudes. I refuse to come back here if they think they can treat customers like a god dang nuisance. read more

Rude people, crap service, just ok food. Went based on a review made on Facebook. Should've stuck to Yelp!! Go next door for BBQ. Kinder people there. read more

Everything Amazing....... the aroma from inside of the store..makes my mouth water...we got everything from sandwiches to platters..nothing bad..I would say the factors salad was small for the price. read more

Having just wrapped up exploring the Manitou Cliff Dwellings I turned to Yelp in search for something relatively healthy and local to fill us up for lunch. Enter The Sahara Cafe with a whopping 4.5 stars - that's an incredible feat! When we arrived it was BUSY. I should note we came on a Wednesday afternoon and I wasn't expecting there to be a huge wait but when we arrived there was a bustling group outside the restaurant waiting to get in. The folks working that day were 5/5 amazing. So over the top kind, thoughtful, and helpful. They took my phone number, gave me a reasonable wait time of around 20 minutes, and my family and I walked around Manitou's adorable downtown while waiting for our table. Once we were notified that our table was ready we returned and had a really enjoyable mediterranean meal. I had some kind of salad, my dad had a sampler platter, and my sister I think went the classic route of a gyro. All of us, even my two year old, enjoyed our meals and left feeling full and like we had eaten fresh, healthy food. I will say the service is very slow, or at least it was when we were here. That was offset by how wonderful our waitress was, but is worth noting if you are hoping to have a lunch in less than an hour. read more

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Sahara is derived from the Arabic word sahra meaning "desert" in the feminine irregular form. It's the largest hot desert in the world. It covers 9 million square km biggest terra landmark from space. Erica our server was friendly and the house made hummus was fresh. Location is right next to "Cheyenne Spring". read more

Stop here's based on reviews. Disappointed! Food was greasy, not clean. Didn't get what I ordered. Not coming back. read more

Food was good, good variety. Gyro was good but could have used tazichi sauce inside. Service was ok, nothing to write home about. Very basic atmosphere. Good value. I'd look for other med. options before coming back. read more

I ordered the very best Falafel with Hummus. Never failed to amaze me with its flavor and texture. Great Customer Service as well , all with such enthusiasm. They gave me a lot but the good thing I ate it all in one seating . Right in downtown, very quiet ambiance. read more

The food was excellent... Tasty, reasonable, and plenty! But our amazing waitress was the highlight! Her sweetness and menu knowledge helped us in every way, and we honestly felt like family! Very valued, and we would go back and recommend it highly for sure! read more

Stopped in for the Falafel Basket. The seasonings on the hummus and pita were great. The falafel was nicely crispy on the outside without being dry inside. Server was very kind and quick which we appreciated since we were in a bit of a rush. The space was clean and satisfactory. read more

The Sahara Cafe - Falafel Basket - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

Made it 15 steps into Manitou and was drawn in to the Sahara. Turkish coffee? Sorry frappes but gimme a demitasse any time. Service? If only every restaurant was as friendly & professional. Food? So so good, not overly Americanized as others (Greek? too creamy by half). A wonderful Jordan-ese touch to their shawarma, grilled pita dusted w sumac, Chef Kiss Chef Kiss!! AND DO NOT LEAVE WO TRYING THEIR SAGE TEA, made from scratch. With love! read more

Laid back lunch with excellent, fresh food! Try the sage iced tea! We had a little bit of everything. So tasty!

Okay this place was fantastic. Upon walking in it felt like an authentic, hole-in-the-wall Mediterranean establishment. The staff was very friendly from the start. I got myself the Falafel Sandwich and it WAS SO GOOD. The spices they used to coat the pita bread was absolute perfection. And the Tzatziki? Fantastic. I finished off my experience with a Walnut Baklava drizzled in honey; an excellent treat. This spot is the place to go after a long hike at Garden of the Gods, as it was for us! read more

The Sahara Cafe - Falafel Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

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We really liked our mixed shawarma and chicken shawarma. Very tasty and friendly staff. If we lived here, we'd eat here a lot. Great flavors in the food. read more

The Sahara Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

Amazing how all of the servers just "keep their cool" despite major lunch rush. Kristen was just so sweet and unruffled. Food very good and came out quickly. Excellent gyros and iced lattes. Great prices! read more

One of the best Mediterranean restaurants we have ever been to. Falafels were so crispy and flavorful. Other items were really good too. Loved the hazelnut coffee. Service was great too. Looked like family owned but I didn't confirm it. read more

The food was outstanding! Great prices and some of the best food we have had on our vacation. The falafels are amazing!