As always this place serves the best Mediterranean food and provides the best service. Good portion size. Staff is very friendly and service is great. Complimentary Pita bread is provided along with Appetizers. Would recommend to try flat bread pizza, lamb chops, authentic hummus, falafel sandwich and chicken chops. Parking’s a problem in this area. They do have a small parking lot but rarely you would find a parking space as the place is always full. Weekends are super busy so be prepared to wait if you are walking in without prior reservation.

We came to this restaurant on the recommendation of a friend. We ordered the lamb shank, adana chicken kabob, and lamb kabob. The hummus and pita were excellent, and the pita came out fluffy with steam as it was made fresh. The lamb shank and lamb kabob were juicy but lacked real flavor as I expected. The chicken kabob was the most tender, juicy, and flavorful. I would recommend the chicken and pita, hummus, and lentil soup, which was very flavorful. The atmosphere is elegant and quiet, the staff is very helpful but they were hanging out at the entrance too long and chit chatting which seemed inappropriate. This did not much affect their table service. Apparently a friend had come to visit one of the servers and thr server (female) was just hanging out in the middle of the dining hall, at her friend's table who didn't really order much. Overall the prices are high, and the food is above average. The staff is professional for the most part, and I would recommend visiting this restaurant. Best wishes to them and great success! Peace

Went here with my friend after a long time. They offer a variety of Mediterranean dishes. The food was fresh, and the complimentary hot pita bread was amazing and right out of the oven. The portion sizes were good, and the service time was decent (although it could have been faster). We can chipotle hummus and chicken Adana sandwich both of which tasted great. The decoration is impressive, with both outside and upstairs seating. However, parking can be an issue in this area. Although there is a small parking lot, it is often full.

The kebabs were very good. House hummus was just ok. Looking forward to coming back and trying more items!

Recently, We had the opportunity to enjoy the delicious meals and good quality time at Shahara Restaurant at New Brunswick. This place is one of the top of my favorite places and offers a variety of menus. It's an authentic Turkish cousin, apart from food. This site also presents an ambient of the rich culture and art of Turkey. The foods are always freshly made, the desert and breads are really awesome 😋 We enjoyed here a couple of times and found the place is soothing, and the administration family treats you their best 👌 This time, we took Chicken Pyramid, and it left a nostalgia to taste it again 😀

This was my first time here and we were there for a dinner party of 15. I was beyond impressed from the decor, to the service, to the food!! We were seated in an upstairs room and they were accommodating as we has miscounted how many people were coming. Then the feast began!! Plates after plates of the freshest, most tasty foods from appetizers to desserts! Far exceeded expectations for the meat lovers and vegetarians alike in our party!! Cannot wait to go again!! I was too busy eating to take more photos 🙃

The food was absolutely delicious. From the appetizers to the 4-person mixed grill. We had some picky eaters in the group, and the food satisfied everyone. For appetizers, we ordered Hummus, grape leaves, and cheese rolls. We did go on a busy Saturday night, and the restaurant itself is very small and not roomy. I wish the tables were more spread apart because it felt like we were on top of each other and other customers. Other than that, I would return just maybe at a less busy time.

Amazing middle eastern food… Good portion sizes. Extremely fast service…. Impressive decor with outside seating as well as upstairs seating… Appetizers come with hot pita bread…. Good value for money. Highly recommended

Undoubtedly the best place for Mediterranean food. Lamb chops and Chicken chops are the best and our favorite here. Pita bread is very soft and hummus is authentic.

Decor was nice but that’s pretty much all I can say. Sat during probably the LEAST busiest time of day, around 2PM, but I was still somehow left unattended for over 25 minutes. There were two other tables that seemed to, somehow, have all of their needs/requests fulfilled. I can’t say for sure what the issue was but it’s unfortunate because they seem to have decent food.

Moving my son out of his apartment and needed a delicious meal to recharge. Every course that came out was better than the next. The portion sizes were BIG! I normally do not eat lamb but ny arm was twisted and i took a bite of the melt in your mouth chop. No game-y flavor . The flavors were ah-mazing. You would think that if the food is that good then no way can the service be any good....well wrong there! Our server gave suggestions, was kind, hustled and so attentive. Top notch service. If you want a great meal, great ambiance and great service.... Sahara is the place!

Food is amazing. I had the lamb chops and the hummus which is probably the best I've had. Been to other similar places but the quantity of the food is always less than Sahara's. Prices are reasonable. 100% recommended.

We were a party of 9, so we got to try many dishes on their menu. Everything we tried was absolutely delicious. From the house soup to the Baklava. Portions were wholesome and enough to feed an army. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Their bread was like a dish from heaven. I recomend the flat bread

We went to this restaurant and oh boy one of the best Mediterranean places I’ve ever been. This deserves a 100 💯 plus. Great food you must try you won’t be disappointed.

We went here on a Friday night and boy let me tell you it is busy!! Although for 2 people we found a table pretty quickly, seemed like we were placed in the middle of where there wasn’t supposed to be a table. None the less the food was beyond delicious and yummy! Highly suggest going here, just be aware if you go on Thursday to Sunday night it will be busy, so if you have more than 2 people make a reservation! Due to the fact they were so busy the service wasn’t the best. Asked for a refill of our water, never got it. Asked for menus, got it after asking two more times. But you could also see the staff working really hard and unfortunately it was just way too busy. We will def be returning but on an evening during the weekday and not prime dinner time! Also, this place is BYOB!

Beautiful restaurant. Plenty of vegan options. The made to order pita bread you can watch being baked in a brick oven is out of this world good! The Sahara vegetarian Sampler was a mouth watering feast of flavors. Their baba ghanoush is incredible. The stuffed eggplant was just okay, as it lacked seasoning and was mostly rice. Good falafel. The waiter seemed to be having a bad day. Despite that, I would return for the sampler and pita anytime!

Beautiful interior that transports you like you’re in the Mediterranean. Service is very friendly, attentive, but not rushing so you can enjoy your meal and experience. Food is amazing! Great portion sizes and flavorful. One of our favorite places to go.

W.O.W! This place... if you are ever in the area, you MUST visit. First of all, bread made in house brick oven. It comes out fresh and HOT to touch, and this will be my favorite bread of all time! My family visited for Father's Day and ordered Shish Kebab, Chicken Adana Kebab, and Adana Kebab(Lamb) Halibut Fish, I've tried all little by little and all of them not salty, and flavorful, savoring to the last bite. Our gorgeous waitress, Talia, she was constantly checking up on us and updating us due to the kitchen being extremely busy, she deserves a raise!

The wait to get seated is long so arrive early. I ended up filling up on the pita bread and vegetarian sampler appetizer. I really enjoyed the hummus the most out of all the options and will order that on its own next time. I was telling my husband I could've just eaten the hummus and pita with a cup of coffee as a meal. I didn't care too much for the lentil soup though. I got the red snapper for my entree which looked good but can't comment on it. I was too full to eat it so took it home. My husband got the salmon and enjoyed it. He ate the red snapper the next day and enjoyed it. The portions are huge, and we will be back but a little earlier than 730pm for better seating time.

Great place. Our server Brian was very helpful in explaining some of the dishes, and did not rush us at all. Definitely a little gem in this town. Also it is BYOB

I went to Sahara with my wife to celebrate our anniversary. I chose Sahara because it was different from our usual places and is privately owned. I made a great choice! We started with the House Hummus and it was incredible. I can't speak for the other Hummus options on the menu but I can't imagine they could be better than this. It was served in an interesting style: whipped into a wave-like pattern with a unique blend of chopped olives and oils in the center. The puffed bread (that conveniently settles down once you rip it) was the perfect counterpart to the dip. We followed that with some fried calamari which was nicely cooked and not chewy at all. We both had the lentil soup which was creamy and not as spicy as we expected. That was good for my wife since she doesn't like spicy food! It was still very tasty! Our meals consisted of chicken kebabs (for me) and the chicken special for m'lady. Both were outstanding and I was so caught up in eating that I forgot to take a picture! We got quite full (which is good because we got to take some food home) but we still kept a bit of room for dessert. I had the Tiramisu and Turkish coffee and they did not disappoint! The entire meal was delicious and the servers kept things hopping while still giving us time to enjoy the meal. Qusai was the lead server and answered our questions with patience and humor. The atmosphere was very nice with a suitability Mediterranean feel and clever decorations (a mix of paintings and props) to try and give a hint of realism. The price was quite reasonable so you won't break the bank if you go. Overall I loved it and plan to go back!

I think we have been here more than any other Mediterranean restaurant soup with lamb andana kababs are my best choice my wife is crazy about their all dishes soup and Turkish coffee is something she gets with everything she eats there

I recently dined at Sahara, located near Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, on a Sunday afternoon around 2 PM. The restaurant offered around ten parking spots, which was convenient, and it had both upstairs and downstairs dining areas. The bathrooms were fairly clean, which is always a plus. Now, let's talk about the food. The overall experience was quite good. The homemade hummus, although on the smaller side for an entree, was delightfully whipped, and the babaganush had a nice smokey flavor that I enjoyed. The fresh pita bread complemented these dips perfectly, and the lentil soup was a creamy delight. The appetizers were so good I forgot to take pictures until after I started eating. For the main course, we opted for the chicken platter for two people, which featured three different types of chicken, rice, and bulgur. While the chicken was perfectly cooked, it could have benefited from a bit more flavor. On the other hand, the rice and bulgur were very tasty, and the white cucumber sauce that accompanied the chicken was simply amazing. The only downside of the meal was the flat soda, which was a bit disappointing. The service at Sahara was a highlight of the visit. We were warmly greeted and treated with kindness throughout our meal, which added to the overall positive experience. If you're looking for a decent meal near Rutgers University with friendly service, Sahara is worth a visit. The total cost was around $75 not including tip. We also had alot of leftovers since the portion size of the main meal was very large.

One of the best Mediterranean restaurants I have visited so far. Every one of the items we ordered were fresh and tasty!! A must place to visit if you are around New Brunswick, NJ

Lovely meal absolutely delicious flavors. I had the Nile chicken which exceeded my expectations and she had the shrimp kebabs. We also had the lentil soup and two appetizers, the stuffed grape leaves and the feta cheese rolls. If I could give this place six stars I would.

Excellent food! Generous portions! BYOB. Staff is courteous. Fresh pita and flatbread pizza from their Wood fired oven is just heavenly! Usually crowded even on weekdays.

Service can be improved. Drinking glasses don't look clean. I like Adana Kebab (Lamb) and it is very delicious. The chicken kebab, chicken chops and chicken Adana Kebab have little flavor, kinda tasteless, not recommended. Salad and Hummus are ok. The restaurant has its own parking lot and wheelchair accessible to the restaurant.

Everything at this place was tasty. The hummus, falafel, Mediterranean shrimp and calamari for appetizers (I went with a group) and the Sahara Shrimp for my entree. The shrimp was perfectly cooked (not tough) and the flavor of the sauce was delicious, not too tomatoey (if you know what I mean). Service was great, the waiter made good recommendations. BYOB so you can have whatever you prefer. I would definitely return to try other menu items.

Food and service are amazing! We went there for a party of 15 people and they still was able to deliver great customer service and high quality of food. They have small parking lot but you can find street parking nearby. The only thing im not a fan of is the restroom. They only have 1 restroom for each (women and men) so the lines tend to get long. Other than that, this place I definitely recommend and ill be coming back here with my folks.

We were here for our anniversary dinner. We had a reservation but still had to wait for 10 mins to be seated. The place looked crowded and popular so I recommend reservations. Ambience is good. We ordered falafel for appetizer and then Chicken combination platter for entree. Food is amazing. The complimentary pitas are one of the best I ever had.

Food was decent. The rice didn’t have much flavor. They are able to accommodate a large Party. Location was excellent with convenient parking area.

Great spot! A hidden treasure close to home. Loved the food, the juice, and the coffee was perfect to end our meal. They gave us bread to take home. Great service. Will be coming back! ☺️