Journey Back to Sahara

December 5, 2011 By Leo Kapusta

On Alpha Road (at the Monfort Drive intersection) was a Persian restaurant I remember fondly from the mid ’90s. It was called Sahara, and I used to frequent their lunch buffet with a buddy of mine.

Back then, Sahara was my only standard for Persian food. Despite an incident when my buddy discovered a live snail on his plate, we kept going back. He just flicked the snail off with his index finger and finished his meal. Nothing was going to get in the way of that delicious Persian food and our bellies.

My concept of Persian food has changed with the shifting sands. I’ve discovered several other Persian restaurants since Sahara—my favorite being Darya in Orange County, California.

Since I moved back to Dallas in 2008, I’ve been meaning to give old Sahara a visit but didn’t get around to it until last week. Ownership must have changed because, according to the website, they opened in 2004.

The location is the same, but the interior has changed quite a bit. There is now a tiny Persian-Mediterranean market, and the space seems bigger than I remember.

Buffet selections were few (just like the old incarnation), but every item is worth considering. I slopped some Gormesabzi (a Persian stew containing herbs and kidney beans) on my plate along with rice and various kabobs (ground beef, ground chicken, and chicken breast).

Everything was good, but I’m sucker for anything with garlic, olive oil, and lots of lemon juice. The restaurant was clean, well decorated, and snail free.

I went back to the buffet line—this time for tabouli salad and some hummus to complement my pita bread. With no room left in my tummy for dessert, I paid the check and left.

Sahara’s buffet is good stuff; I just wish they had a larger selection. I plan on returning for dinner sometime so I can sample other items from their menu.

Sahara Restaurant is located at 5441 Alpha Road, Dallas, Texas 75240. You can check out their menu online at http://www.thesahararestaurant.com/.