Sahara Mediterranean Cuisine

My favorite place to get Mediterranean food. I love the chicken shawarma with rice and hummus. Their falafel is also very good. Person at register is always very friendly and helpful on what something is.
The only downside to this place is there's not enough seating, their popular and the dining area is often full during lunch and dinner. Even my downside is a positive because their food is so good they have to many customers.
They close at 6 on weekdays so go early, and in the summer they close for a couple months to visit family. Signs are posted so you will know.

Amazing food and service! I tried Sahara for the first time today for lunch takeout and I’ll absolutely be back. I got the chicken kabob lunch special with a small order of stuffed grape leaves. I called it in and it was ready within 10 minutes, service seemed quick for those dining in as well. The tahini and hummus is amazing and the chicken is cooked to perfection. You can tell everything down to the rice and peppers was made with thought and care. A must try in Lexington!

Had the lamb kebab and baklava. The first bite of the lamb was absolutely amazing. The sauce they used was just top-notch. You also get a side of some other veggies that they were pretty good too. The baklava is the best I’ve ever had by far no contest. I very very much recommend getting that because it was so good.
100% will go again if for no other reason than I need to try their grape leaves and hummus!

Absolutely delicious
Lunch rush with line out the door
Hard for them to keep up cleaning tables in small dining area

Truly one of the best places you can eat in lex, for flavor, quality, and price. Family owned and managed, the staff is always super kind and quickl

I have not had middle eastern food this good since I left Israel. The portions are HUGE- and so are the flavors. I only wish they were only open later!! Such a great find. If you leave here hungry it is your own fault. Fresh, tender, flavorful, hot and fast. I could eat here 7 days a week if I lived closer.

My favorite thing is the lamb kebab, but the lamb chops are amazing as well- the meat is tender, the fat crispy, soft, but never gristly, and I've yet to find a side I don't love. I seem to always arrive too late to get the (in this case, literal) goat, but maybe one day! Everyone is so friendly, and the drinks in their cooler are so delicious. I love trying something new every time I go, and I've yet to be disappointed.

Friends highly recommended Sahara. Great food. They ran out of the Lamb/Beef Shawarma so had the Chicken Lunch Plate which comes with Hummus, Pita, a salad. The Shawarma is served over rice and it's a large portion. Also ordered a side of grape leaves and falafel as well. All very, very, good. The woman at the register was friendly and efficient. The rest of the staff also responsive. The atmosphere is less chainy and more authentic in feel. Highly recommend.

Oh. My. Gosh! AAAAMMMMAAAZZZIIINNNGGG!! The best chicken I’ve ever had! It’s super tender, perfectly seasoned. Honestly melt in your mouth kind of chicken! Husband got the lamb and it was amazing as well and so tender and flavorful! I’m not a fan of the white sauce. We were wanting something like Halal Guys, which this is but better! But their white sauce doesn’t compare to Halal Guys. The rice is good, bland but paired with the chicken it’s fine. Overall amazing food and I highly recommend! Do get there early though! Went on a Wednesday around 5ish and they were already out of most all meats. Then went there today (Friday) around 1:30ish and the line was out the door! We had ours to go, it’s a little crowded. Price isn’t bad I think it was like $14 for an entree that could easily feed two. Def worth trying!! Also we tried calling ahead and no answer, so we were able to order onsite.

This was the finest Mediterranean restaurant I have ever eaten. It's also rated and awarded as the top 50 restaurants in Kentucky. I tried their Baba's favorite with chicken shawarma and chicken Kebab and it was utterly delicious. The restaurant is extremely busy during lunch. The prices are unbeatable. There's ample parking in front of the restaurant.

Great people and even better shawarma - you can’t go wrong. Don’t skip on the falafels either!

This is the best Mediterranean place in Lexington, hands down. Prices are extremely reasonable and service is swift. Limited indoor seating and the fact that the line is always out the door are the only issues, but that's just because the food is so good.

It’s not a fancy “fine dining” kind of place but it’s clean and comfortable, and the food most definitely is fine dining, and FRESH! You can see all the ingredients right there in front of you. I worked a couple of years in Saudi Arabia and got the same sorts of dishes there, so it’s authentic to type for the area. The portions here are large and the seasoning delicious. Every time I get the craving for a chicken schwarma this is where I go!

Everything was absolutely delicious and the portions are huge.

Stopped in mid-afternoon while on a work trip and discovered a gem. I had the Kufta sandwich, which is served with delicious garlic sauce. The sandwich itself was crisp and delicious in itself. Meat was tender and pickles on the side added to each bite. But the sauce was so tasty I will crave it for days! Friendly service and it seemed that many customers were repeats. Judging by the line, I'm not the first to discover it. It's a basic interior, outside seating available. If you're thinking of Mediterranean, this is a excellent spot worth a repeat.

Consistently phenomenal food. Somehow, they do it right every time. They keep their menu fairly simple and nail every item.
Go early, their lunch rush gets crowded and plan around their annual family vacation when they travel out of the country.

Amazing lunch special. The chicken Schwarma is my favorite. They are efficient in getting you in and out for lunch. The hummus is the best I have had.

Great atmosphere. Delicious food (lamb and beef shawarma over rice). Generous portions. Lightning quick service.

We've been to a few restaurants in the past week with different kinds of food (first watch, texas de brazil, JY kitchen, doodles, goodfellas) and we found the food here to be the best (of course this is personal preference, but thought I'd throw this out there).

The lady at the counter who took our order was very pleasant and quick as well.

5 stars because it's really good, but it has an attached market that has great prices on spices and other Mediterranean items. The restaurant food was very (very) good. Their hummus is as good as mine, and I make really good hummus. 🙂 Will definitely go back!

Be aware, they close at 6! I didn't know that and was so sad when I went to get food for myself and coworkers one night. Call ahead if you can to make sure you can get what you wanted to eat. Food is great! They do run out and only make so much each day.