i'm impressed.. my standards for lebanese/mediterraneanfoodare pretty high. in new orleans, lebanon's is usually what i favor, but the wait and lack of parking is a pain in the ass. since we were on the west bank anyway, spouse and i stopped in at sahara since the reviews here sounded good.
i am so glad we did.
it absolutely blew away all the other places i've tried. mona's doesn't hold a candle to sahara.
when we got there, it was empty. the cook was sitting at a table waiting for a customer, and the host/waiter (are they the owners?) was standing around waiting for something to do. we were seated, handed menus, and drink orders were taken. we ordered appetizers. lots of them. it was so cheap, we figured we might as well try a lot of things! spinach pies, falafel, and a giant bowl of hummus and bread. he brought it to the table a few short minutes later. it was fresh and hot and wonderfully flavorful. spinach pies are usually pretty hit or miss, but these were excellent. the sumac added flavor that's generally missing from the ones i've had elsewhere. falafel was amazing, and i don't even like falafel. spouse was very impressed and essentially inhaled them. the hummus was a tiny bit hot (spicy), very smooth, and very lightly lemon-y. the pita was warm and not the least bit tough.
for dinner, we ordered shawarma (chicken and beef) and kafta. holy christ. the portions were very generous, and the salads and their dressing that came with the meats were delicious (another item i usually dislike for being bitter). the kafta was a bit spicy and held together well. my mouth's watering just thinking about it. the shawarma was also excellent. the marinade was tangy. i was unfamiliar with the sauce that came with the kafta. i'm used to a minty and lemony labneh/lebna, but this was somewhat orange? the spouse loved it. i wish i'd thought to ask what it was.
the service was quick and he seemed very happy that we were completely enamored by the restaurant and its food. i highly recommend!