Sahara Restaurant & Grill- Bar The District Detroit

Very nice place. Our waiter was vey polite and accommodating, food is great! Portions are decent if you order even a small size! Salads are amazing and very recommended! I liked the atmosphere. The only setback is that 20% tips are included for a party of 4. But overall, I would come back

May 2024 - wife and I came here for dinner before going to one of the shows. We sat outside and the food was good. We ordered chicken shawarma sandwiches on pita bread. We also ordered a small Fattoush that was good for 2 people. Overall a good place to stop by.

Ambiance is top notch for Detroit. Chicken was cooked to perfection along with the best vegetables I’ve had in a Middle Eastern restaurant. Bread was warm and fresh. Around $25 plate struck me as expensive but for the atmosphere it’s a nice experience. They were out of lamp chops and the beer is from a can so those were some setbacks.

Decent vegan option - the vegetarian combo with veggie sticks instead of pita is confirmed all vegan - hummus, falafel, baba ganoush, and tabbouleh salad. Great portion size too

Firstly, they automatically add 20% tip to the bill...our server did not deserve that high of a tip. She was a very nice person but very inexperienced and we had to ask multiple times for more water and napkins, etc. We had to keep flagging her down. My cosmo cost around $30 each and weren't made right. Everything on the menu was priced very high. And the food was middle of the road mediocre. Nothing special or different from any other Mediterranean place. Also, I called for a reservation and after I confirmed I received a text with a link for a $10 per person reservation fee. I have never seen that before in my life! This place is all about overcharging and adding fees and tipping themselves but with your money and with no regard to the quality of the food/drinks and no regard to the training and experience of the staff. Look, I'm not broke and can afford pricey dining but the food and staff don't deserve a high rating and they cannot justify the prices or the automatic 20% tip. I will not be coming back and I do not recommend. And BTW the decor is not that fancy in person. Don't let the pics fool you.

So this place is considered fine dining. The place is beautiful and reflected that. The food was also great. However , they missed some points with the presentation of the food. Some of the food came presented really nice and fine-dining style, but then the ketchup was served in a Heinz bottle ? The truffle fries came in street style fry basket. Those kind of things aren’t compatible with the fancy looking entrees that we got. With those very very small changes , this place could easily be 5 stars but those presentation with the ketchup and fries really threw me off. I feel like if you wanted to come here for a date to impress the other person you would kind of be embarrassed if they handed them a ketchup bottle and street fries basket. Especially When the impression with the prices and the atmosphere is “fancy” looking. The food was delicious tho! So I guess if you’re not looking for a fancy kind of thing this wouldn’t bother you. I just came here on the impression of “fine dining.”

Sigh. We had hoped this would be a great stop before seeing a show downtown. Steak tips- microwaved with canned mushrooms smothered in sauce. Lemon Cream chop- where was the lemon flavor? It was just lathered in garlic sauce. Veggies… boiled or microwaved or something completely sopped in water Beef Kafta- husband said it tasted weird. The only fresh items were a quarter of a tomatoe and red bell pepper for decor on his plate. $90 bucks if your wondering. Service - well just not staffed for their three banquet table party.

Great food and atmosphere! However, the 20% automatically included gratuity for the party of four was a surprise. Would come again for great food!

The food was amazing, portions large. Service was excellent from beginning to end, they even allowed us to be seated while waiting for the rest of the table. The place is decent size with beautiful decorations and well lit. Everything we ate was delish! EVERYTHING. Recommend for vegan eaters too!

We were the only people in the restaurant for lunch but the service was still slow. The food came out fresh, so I'll assume the long wait was because they were busy preparing our food. Everything was delicious and worth the wait! The lunch traffic was light but our server said it gets busy for dinner.

We stopped into this restaurant before a show at the Fox theater. It took at least 15 minutes for someone to take us to our seats and after we sat, we waited for 20 minutes before someone even came to take our order. They brought us out a basket of pita bread served with BUTTER! I mean seriously like anything else would have been better in a Middle Eastern themed restaurant. After our order was taken, it took a while for our food to come out. It turns out that they never put our drink order in so we did not get our drinks until after our food came out. Apparently this restaurant was understaffed. However, none of this was communicated to us and they seem to avoid eye contact with us.Thankfully, I ordered a quick appetizer of Lebnah with garlic, which was tasty. I also ordered kibbie It was overcooked and under seasoned. The tahini sauce was a watery, bland mess. It did not taste authentic at all. The decor was beautiful so I was sad that the service was so terrible. It is unlikely that we'll be back.

We don't think they have ever actually had Middle Eastern food. We are here from California for just a few hours, and after hearing so much about the Middle Eastern culture and influence on this area, we were so excited to try this place. The inside is cute and on brand for the cuisine... But the music is 90s hip hop.. Super weird. We are 1 of 2 tables currently occupied. Empty on a Friday evening? Uh oh. Ordered 2 pita sandwiches. 1 with falafel and hummus, 1 with falafel, hummus, and tabbouleh. You'd think the only difference would be the tabbouleh. But the sandwich with only falafel and hummus came adorned with the stem parts of the tomato, questionable chunks of squash????, and a half pound of shredded lettuce. Hummus isn't meant to be a sauce... It's part of the main protein of the meal. Especially when it's served with falafel. Couldn't be more disappointed. Please don't ever spend a dime here. 0 stars.

Wonderful food I went here with a team of 16 and we all left very satisfied and happy! The cocktails are delicious, wine selection is just okay, but overall still a great experience. I highly recommend anyone stopping by in Detroit to visit. The food is authentic and absolutely amazing. You really can't get Mediterranean food like this just anywhere! Pita bread is the best thing ever with the dips, makes the place very vegetarian friendly as well!

Second time here. The Turkish espresso martinis are fabulous. I love the fattoush salad and the falafel here- both taste very fresh every time. The spicy hummus is also very good. Was a little disappointed in the vegetarian grape leaves, as the rice inside tasted more like a Spanish rice than anything else. But overall I loved my food and would return.

This venue has great food with fresh ingredients and wonderful service. Even a fire alarm didn't take away from a great experience -they just accommodated us on the patio. Second visit did not disappoint!

I recently had the pleasure of dining here, and I must say, it exceeded all my expectations! From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warm smiles and impeccable service. The ambiance was inviting, with a perfect blend of modern elegance and cozy charm. Now let's talk about the food. Each dish was super flavorful. The chef's attention to detail truly shone through every bite. The menu offered a range of options, catering to various dietary preferences. The staff were knowledgeable about the ingredients, providing helpful recommendations. The dessert selection was a treat for sure, and I'll be going back for more. This restaurant has easily become one of my new favorite spots. I highly recommend it. Five stars all the way!

Sahara Downtown Detroit continues the decades-long tradition of serving the best Middle Eastern cuisine in the metro area. It's got a different vibe than the other locations, and that's exactly what the owner intended. You get the famous Sahara restaurant cuisine in downtown Detroit within walking distance of the Fox Theatre, Comerica Park, Ford Field, and Little Caesars Arena. Having lived in Detroit for decades but now on the west coast, I always urge my friends and business associates to visit Sahara downtown for truly authentic Middle Eastern cuisine when they're in Detroit, and it does not disappoint. My husband, having become a fan of Middle Eastern cuisine, and after eating at many similar cuisine restaurants, tells anyone who will listen that Sahara restaurant group, hands down, is the gold standard. The ambience draws you in, the exotic speciality drinks are a must-try, and the apps and fresh baked pita bread are just the beginning of a feast for the palate. Relax, soak it all in, you'll remember this place fondly.

Love the food there and the service is A1 from all of the amazing staff Lighting and the mood there is amazing Will be going back for sure

Fares is amainf 10/10 in food suggestions and attentiveness. ! I couldn't rant and rave anymore about this place- please give it a shot!

OMG!! Where do I start? My husband planned a surprise 70th birthday luncheon for me here. We had a large party. 14 adults and 3 children. Everything was exceptional! The food was great! The atmosphere festive! They played celebratory music that enhanced our experience. Our waitress was Darianne (?) and she was the best! With so many people vying for her attention with special requests, she never once lost her cool. She was always pleasant and accommodating. Whatever we needed...she provided for us, with a smile! I had the Chicken shawarma lunchbox, with rice, hummus and garlic sauce. YUM! I can't wait to go back there again, just me and hubby. I highly recommend. You will not be disappointed!

Customer service was good, Waiter was on top of everything, which was great went there for dinner and drinks after a show at the fox, Food came out in a timely fashions.

This is my new goto place. Wow it's so beautiful inside it should be in a magazine. When you walk in you think your in a restaurant in Dubai. This is my 2nd time going here and it's my new goto spot. The food is exactly like the decor! Food is so tasty and great portions. I've now tried a few cocktails and i will be meeting friends for a cocktail at the bar when i just want a drink. This is the new hidden gem in detroit. Shout out to the owners because the staff is really attentive so they have trained them well. Can't wait to take more friends & family here.

This restaurant is awful. Very rude waitstaff. After we were seated we must have waited 10 minutes before someone asked if we wanted a drink. Another 10 minutes to bring the drinks and then she disappeared again! Food was very average, not hot and portions are tiny.

Ordered 2 drinks and a rice & crush lentil soup & will was $80 ... will not be returning

Fabulous *new* Middle Eastern establishment in the heart of District Detroit. Great food, excellent service and wonderful ambiance. Highlight: Several dishes are available in Small, Medium and Large sizes, allowing for hoarding or sharing depending on your group. Everything on this menu is authentic (Lebanese slant) Middle Eastern fare. As Detroit residents, we will be frequenting this place quite often.... You should check it out!

Very few restaurants can pull off an appetizer plate that has EVERYTHING my husband and I both love...Sahara has one!!!! Stopped by on the way to a Tigers game and we split the Maza plate (grape leaves, falafel, taboulleh, hummus, etc.). Everything was really, really good! Worth the price because it fed us both for about $15 each. Solid choice if you're downtown and want some great Meditteranean!

Gratuity is added on to the bill? Food was ok? Hummus really had no flavor Grape leaves were not good. I really didn't have anything that I would crave or would have given me the desire to return, I always tip based on service I was provided good service for the most part no complaints their but let me decide if I want to pay 10, 15 or 20% service fee not the restaurant. Won't be returning. This review is for Sahara down town Detroit.

Food was fantastic and the bartender was wonderful (sat at the bar) however he was the only bartender for a BUSY Friday night (Wings game and multiple shows). He did a wonderful job under the circumstances but I felt so bad for him because he was making drinks for the entire restaurant plus the bar, taking food orders, and running the food to the bar. He literally did not stop. Only suggestion is to get another bartender when you know it's going to be a busy night.

Delicious food! One of the best Fatoosh salads I've had. Ambiance was beautiful, great service!!

Stopped by before the Tigers game for lunch. Sahara is super convenient to the ball park. The food was great and the service better! This location very recently opened and it's worth a stop. We will go back and highly recommend Sahara for really good Mediterranean food.

Visiting from out of state and choose this spot out of random. Best decision! Very wonderful waiter and host and gave wonderful food recommendations. If your looking for great authentic Mediterranean food this is the place !

I ordered the fried calamari with sauce appetizer (delicious and crispy!) and the $32 mezze tray with stuffed grape leaves, hummus, falafel, a garlicky yogurt dip, and a fatoush salad. It was all delicious. The mezze tray easily feeds four if you have soup.

The food tasted like a middle school boy cooked his first meal. Rubber chicken, pasta had zero taste. The chicken Shawarma tasted cheap. Giving it two stars since it was a decent atmosphere.

Overpriced garbage. The veggies were from a Meijer steamer bag, the added tip for a group of six was outrageous, and the kids Mac n cheese was definitely Kraft. Do not go here. You are literally paying for the location and their property taxes.

I live down the street and this has been my go to spot since the day they opened. I probably order from here 2-3 times a week. The staff is super friendly and the food is always so fresh! Highly recommend!!

DO NOT COME TO THIS LOCATION. Came for my birthday and it was a disaster they over charged us for multiple dishes . Prices on the menu are different than they put on our bill. We waited 20 mins for drinks per order and the managers were rude. Especially the middle aged dirty blonde manager. She was on the defense all evening since we got & the younger manager was rude when my friend waited 20 mins for our server to come back with no water and no drink order, when my friend asked about ordering a drink she cut her off and said I can't help you I'm not your server... ARENT YOU THE. MANAGER DONT YOU HAVE POWER OVER ALL THE SERVERS?? We called ahead to update them on bill splitting, if there was a cake fee and about gratitude. I spoke with a younger/middle aged middle eastern gentleman and he told me splitting the bill was no issue and there was no gratuity on a large party. the gentleman I spoke to did not update the reservation or the server. AgainManagers were defensive & we waited 40 mins for our bill. They kept messing up on separating the bill. Just an absolute mess, they showed no hospitality for us and at times tried to gaslight us into paying for dishes that we never ordered. I'm so upset with this place. My favorite location is in Sterling Heights but after this I will never go here again I would have rather paid the price for LEILA

We came by after a tigers game, after being rushed out of another venue for lack of communication. Our bartender was not only accommodating but was so happy to have us. The communication, empathy and enthusiasm was SO ON POINT. I know we came close to closing but I would not hesitate to come back for the CUSTOMER SERVICE ALONE. Ferris met the standard and then some. Ferris was excited to have us, excited to make recommendations and to connect with us and I'm so grateful for the experience. 10/10