Sahara 34
“For our mains, we had the vegetarian platter (hummus, babaganoush, grape leaves, and salad) and a combo of shish kabob and kofta, which was served with a lovely shepherds salad and rice.”
“I ordered a chicken shwarma with spicy fries (since everyone on Yelp raves about these fries).”
“And we split a falafel platter since I really wanted him to experience some of the great middle eastern flavors.”
Sahara 34
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
6 reviews
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I had heard this place had a restaurant, but have never stopped by even though I go to this strip mall location often. One of our friends said it was good, so I finally decided to give it a try.
When you enter, don't be deceived. To the right is the grocery section, and to the left-left: the restaurant entrance. The server/greeter/owner (I think he was all of the above!) was SUPER friendly. I wanted take-out, so he gave me a menu and I ordered the Kofta Platter. It took a few minutes, so my husband and I showed around the grocery section and got some fun stuff we've never tried/heard of before.
The kofta platter was HUGE and comes with pita bread, salad, rice, and Kofta (I think there were 6 total). The two of us split the platter and were sufficiently full. It was very tasty and not greasy, nor was "overwhelming" in garlic. We know those strong garlic flavorings can be an issue after eating Mediterranean food…
I will be be be back again to try the other platters!!! They take credit cards, $10 minimum.
We are driving to PNC Bank Arts Center last Saturday to see Sugarland in concert. Found this modest Middle Eastern (Egyptian) restaurant by chance. I had a listing from Yelp of several places to try but Sahara was not on the list. When we pulled into the shopping center, I was looking at West Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant.
My wife noticed that Sahara 34 was a restaurant as well as a Middle Eastern food market.. We both love the cuisine, so we gave it a try. The restaurant is a decent size, maybe sixteen four-tops. Decor is modest. Background music is Middle Eastern. The owner was handling front of house; he was happy to explain some of the dishes to new customers. Entree prices were low – in the $9.00 to $12.00 range, which includes a salad.
My wife had the kefke kabab platter. I had the chicken kabab platter. Both very nice, large portions, came with a nicely done rice pilaf. Mint tea.
Not worth a long drive, but if you live in the area it is worth a try.
Sahara 34 is a gem of a little restaurant. Tucked into the back room of a Middle Eastern supermarket that sits in an unassuming strip mall, what Sahara 34 lacks in curb appeal it makes up for in authentic offerings and impactful flavor.
I came here with a group of eight people on a Thursday afternoon for lunch. It's fairly clear that Sahara 34 doesn't have much of a lunch rush (but I don't suspect that many restaurants in Matawan do), so we had the entire back area that composes the restaurant to ourselves. The interior isn't much beyond some curtains hanging on paintings and little lanterns sitting at the tables. The cutlery have definitely seen better days, dull as the linoleum floor that lines the space.
However, the lunch options here were plentiful, ranging from sandwiches and combos to full entrées and platters, and they were entirely affordable. I decided to order a beef shwarma pita wrap, and I was pretty impressed with the freshness of the food and its flavor. The beef was definitely cooked to order, and it had a delicious spice without being overly salty. It was paired with chopped cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes as well as a bed of lettuce. I think the wrap, though, could have used some hummus or another sauce just to add some needed moisture. For $5.99, it definitely was a great deal, and I left very satisfied. My colleagues ordered mostly platters, and from what I could tell, they looked enormous. Most came with a generous helping of hummus, and for $9.99 it could probably serve as a small meal for two people.
A note about service: we definitely caught them a bit off-guard because I think there were only two people working during our meal–the server and the owner/cook. Thus, a lot of things were a bit slow–getting water to the table, taking our orders, getting our food. My poor friend also had to correct her order twice (first they made her a sandwich instead of a wrap and then they forgot her fries)! But I must say that the staff were extremely apologetic, and treated us quite hospitably given the circumstances. They even threw in a free baklava at the end for dessert!
Overall, a good lunch choice for those looking to explore a different cuisine. You won't be disappointed when you come to Sahara 34, but do make sure to leave some time for yourself if you're coming in with a large group or during an off-peak time.
A perfect little gem in otherwise un-assuming location. My wife and I came in for dinner the other night and left happy, full and looking forward to coming back. First looks can be deceiving. It's in a strip mall and you enter through a store into a room that is decorated more to the sparse side, but set with tables throughout. That's where the misconceptions end. The menu is plentiful (and affordable) and the staff is overly helpful and friendly. We asked a few questions about some of the dishes and the waitress said she'd be right back. A minute later the chef came out himself and answered all of our questions in the nicest way possible. Now that is service!! We started with an appetizer, then had a gyro platter and a gyro sandwich. All of which were incredibly flavorful and not greasy in the slightest. Overall it was a fantastic experience and a place I'd highly recommend in the area. Can't wait to go back.
Also, big bonus, it's BYOB.
Just returned from having lunch at Sahara 34 in Matawan. The food was fantastic! My friend and I had the same thing..the chicken sawarma (sp?) wrap with the side greek salad. The chicken was oh so tender and juicy with peppers and onions with a delicious tzatziki sauce wrapped in a fresh mid-eastern flat type bread.
The salad was sooooo fresh and tasty with a light oil and vinegar/lemon dressing. It was incredible. I asked the owner for some hot sauce for my wrap and he gave me some of his homemade hot sauce that was fantastic with lots of heat! I even ended up buying some to take home.
The dining room was very nice with clean table cloths on the tables and a very nice ambiance. The owner told me it is also a BYOB. He was excellent in his service and knowledge of the menu items. I would very highly recommend Sahara 34 for delicious and fresh mid-eastern cuisine. I will definitely be back again soon!
It was okay. Very average middle eastern food. I definitely have had better food. It is unique to the area though.
I ordered the kafta sandwich. it was pretty good, nothing special.
the place needs to separate itself from the grocery store. they should at least put up curtails as a passable divider. although they are nice, the service is not professional. the employees also need to work on their english skills.
the restaurant is clean but I always get this sense of dirtyness as I walked around the grocery store. I saw a few flies that flew around the pickled vegetables. the place also needs to be dusted.