07/10/09

For Authenticity, Keep Walking

by andiralaw

I don't know why this place had such great reviews. I had the lamb kabob platter, which is reasoably priced, and comes with a good deal of food. The salad was ordinary, with store-bought greek dressing, it was very fresh, but again ordinary. The pita was average at best, not home-made and probably of a brand you could buy at the grocery. The rice was rice-a-roni in texture and odd color, contained small noodles as well as rice, it was greasy and topped with a few sliced blanched almonds. It was terrible and added nothing to the kabob. The lamb was superb, properly flavored, 7 or so large pieces, slightly charred on the outside and a perfect slight pink in the middle. It was marinaded perfectly and tasted very Lebonese, with a hint of rosemary, which grows in such abundance on the dunes of the coast. The vegetables on the kabob (it was actually served kabob style without the kabob, a nice presentation) were overdone, bland and mushy. The side veggies, which were slices of grilled zuchinin and a grilled plum tomato were awful The spices did not blend at all with the spices on the meat or the lack of spices in the 'rice'. The baklava was average at best, and expensive considering its poor quality. the atmosphere is country kitchen with Lebonese artwork, kind of weird. The music is nice. My reccommendation is to keep walking and go to the Sansom Kabob House down the street, the food and atmosphere are 100x better and the prices are about the same.

• Pros: friendly, efficient staff, meat cooked perfectly
• Cons: terrible Middle Eastern Food-dulled for the American palate

04/10/09

A mango drink by the summer sea

by TR1954

I have never been to Lebanon, so I will have to settle for dining at Sahara Grill. I am a snobbish critic when it comes to pita bread and hummus. Both are fabulous at this place. As a vegetarian, I find that SG ranks among the best options in Philadelphia. The service is casual and the servers are authentic. It feels real. I like to eat there when I am in town.

• Pros: Fresh food, delicious cool drinks, strong coffee
• Cons: It's 15 miles from my house.

08/22/08

BEST MIDDLE EAST FOOD

by nilly

I love the middle east food from Sahara Grill. Friendly atmosphere, nice service and very affordable. The menu has a variety of healty entries full of flavor. I visit the restaurant very often and they always have the same great service....