Sahara Restaurant & Grill-Oak Park

I like the food at Sahara, however I find other areas below average. This particular location feels much more like a banquet hall vs. a local plaza restaurant. While the atmosphere looks nice the acoustics are very loud with a lot of echo (lots of hard flat surfaces in an open environment with little sound dampening). Having spent some time in the middle east I can say the styling is in par with upper end places you’d find in Iraq, Kuwait, or average in UAE. Upon entering it’s hard to figure out whether it’s seat yourself, order at counter, or a mix. This large restaurant has few people and a good sized staff, yet they were very slow to greet or even serve everything. I don’t want to speculate so I’ll simple call a spade a spade. Customer service needs improvement. Overall I found the food quality to be quite nice and tasty. I was surprised to see a specialized Iraqi rock cooked fish dish on the menu, Masgoof. I fondly remember that dish while working in Iraq. The $95 price tag was too steep for me. It seems like prices here have increased a lot…darn inflation. Instinctively I was planning on giving 4 stars, however the needs improvement customer service and loud atmosphere didn’t sit very well with me. It was simple math using the Google 5 scale Likert.

🍽️ Sahara Restaurant, Oak Park: 👍👍👍👍 👎 Savor Middle Eastern Flavors at Sahara Restaurant in Oak Park, where diners have generally enjoyed their experience, with a few considerations to keep in mind. FOOD QUALITY👍: The Sahara Combo 2 was flavorful and satisfying, with the garlic sauce adding a nice touch. The meal was hearty, providing a solid representation of traditional Middle Eastern flavors. SERVICE & HOSPITALITY👍: The service at Sahara Restaurant was excellent, with our server, Danyala, being attentive and ensuring we had everything we needed throughout the meal. VALUE for MONEY👎: The lunch for two people came to approximately $50, including tips, which feels a bit expensive for the portion size and menu items. While the food is of good quality, the cost doesn’t quite match the value. AMBIENCE & CLEANLINESS👍: The restaurant offers a clean, welcoming atmosphere, enhancing the overall dining experience and making it comfortable for guests. LOCATION & ACCESSIBILITY👍: Conveniently situated in Oak Park, Sahara Restaurant is easily accessible, making it a solid choice for those craving Middle Eastern cuisine in the area. In summary, Sahara Restaurant in Oak Park provides a satisfying meal with quality food and great service. However, the value for money could be improved, as the pricing feels a bit high for the portion sizes. Despite this, the pleasant atmosphere and delicious food make it a worthwhile choice for diners.

All very tasty all very delicious. Go and get you some garlic sauce with some pita and the chicken Shawarma very nice place very nice staff. Always good and tasty✅

This is the worst Mediterranean restaurant I've ever been to when it comes to the food. The chicken shwarma meat was diced into all these small pieces instead of the usual strips and tasted like rotisserie chicken. The vegetables were cooked bagged broccoli medley, not freshly prepared vegetables. No onions, peppers, or zucchini? Im a frequent customer of Mediterranean restaurants, and this is the first one that served me a salad with iceberg lettuce instead of romaine. It's clear this place is a banquet/reception place posing as a restaurant with overpriced food. Asked for pickled vegetables, and they brought out pickles 😂🚮

The food was delicious! We tried the Babaghanoosh, white fish, and potatoes topped with shawarma. The rice was especially flavorful, and it makes me look forward to returning. You can see in the pictures how good everything looked. Our total was $46, which was very reasonable for two people given the portion sizes. As for the atmosphere, there’s room for improvement. The space would benefit from a livelier vibe, perhaps with warmer, darker colors, which many restaurants use to create a cozy ambiance. Additionally, they didn’t have fresh bread available due to recent renovations, but adding that back would be a nice touch for the future. Overall, it's nice to visit.

PERFECT! The sautéed shrimp and chicken shawarma 🥙 are excellent!

Love having Sahara in my neighborhood! Location is large but feels like a family vibe behind the counter. The food is always so fresh and portions are huge for the price. They have the BEST vegetarian grape leaves compared to all other Middle Eastern restaurants around.

Stopped in for dinner. Excellent food and service. If you haven't been, you need to go! We shared a veggie platter- hummus, baba and tabouli, chicken kefta, lamb kabob, amazing rice and vegetables-all so good.