The Sahara Greek and Lebanese restaurant (formerly on E. Lafayette Street in Tallahassee) has been a reliable option for an affordable, delicious lunch. However, the building was definitely aging, and the restaurant needed more seating and parking.

(An aside: the original building used to house a fantastic Pizza Hut when I was growing up. Sit-down Pac-Man game and a jukebox, yes!)

They recently moved into a new location, across the street, in the shopping center facing Apalachee Parkway, with New Leaf Market, Cabo’s, Ross, etc., with a lot more room and much more convenient parking.

One big change is that you now have to go to the counter to order before sitting, and they then bring your food out to your table. This change appears to have streamlined their lunch service, and worked great for me as I have been ordering the same thing for years. (Chicken Shawarma, please.)

As you can see below, the Shawarma is always a good choice.

The Chicken Shawarma features well-seasoned and charred chicken with the best tzaziki in town. The Greek salad is solid, though on the small side, and I am completely addicted to their lentil soup. They have great options if you are looking for low-carb or gluten free eating as well.

The Hubs got the gyro platter (yum!) and the hummus is very creamy with a nice garlic kick.

The new location provides more parking, added convenience and plenty of seating space. The new ordering system seemed to make the process much faster, and the staff was very attentive on drinks and making sure we knew about the new procedure. Not fancy, but a great choice for a solid lunch.