Cafe Sababa – Mediterranean Grill

Went back for more soup last night!!! Never a wrong decision when it comes to getting the bowl instead of the cup with the Chickpea Curry Soup!

This place is as good as the reviews make it sound. I had the chickpea curry soup to start and it had a great balance of favors. For my main dish I had the Greek salad with schwarma. I didn’t leave a thing on my plate. The location is a little odd but the food more than makes up for it.

Best Mediterranean place ever!!! The Lamb sandwich special and the Lamb burger are to die for

Their lamb burger is excellent! The food there in general is very good. It’s a small place you wouldn’t think about going to but you will not regret.

This place is a great hole in the wall. Called in for recommendations. Got the lunch special which was a Roasted Leg of Lamb Sandwich and Sabada Salad. Will definitely eat here again. Very friendly staff, ask for the specials and get what they recommend!

Great little place with great service! I met a friend here for lunch because it’s close by our offices. It’s in a busy little plaza but parking wasn’t as bad as I thought.
I ordered the lunch special of roasted leg of lamb sandwich on ciabatta buns and a side of french fries (came with the order). The sandwich was a pretty good portion with plenty of meat. The sauce on the sandwich was fantastic! I thought the fries were really good also. They were freshly fried and seasoned so well that I didn’t even need any ketchup. I forgot what wrap my friend ordered but it came with a delicious chickpea curry soup.
As we were finishing our meal I saw the delicious looking meal the guy at the next table was eating. I learned that it’s a lamb shish kabob rice plate. Yeah, that’s what I’m having when I come back next time!

They’re very nice and welcoming. It’s a small place with good middle eastern music playing at the right volume — not loud and not too low. Let me say that it’s not your typical Middle Eastern restaurant. I’d call it a more middle eastern fusion + Greek restaurant. I ordered gyro sandwich, which comes with a side so I went with the Greek salad. Side note: the food is priced right! My gyro was delectable! The Greek salad was really yummy too except it had chickpeas. That’s one of the reasons I gave this place a 4 instead of 5 stars. Who has chickpeas in a Greek salad? It’s like having asparagus in a taco! The second reason is that the waiter didn’t check on me again until I was almost done with my meal. I cleaned my plate (minus the chickpeas), so I’ll certainly come back here next time I’m in the area.

Met a friend here. This is a tiny place in a strip-​mall but dont let that discourage you. The service was fast and friendly. The food was fresh and tasty. They didnt have the lamb burger I wanted due to it being Monday and they dont cook it on Sunday so just went with the special Morrocan stew over rice. Guess I’m glad cause now I have to come back on another day to try that lamb burger.

Friendly service, authentic baba ganoush and relaxed atmosphere. This restaurant has everything for a weeknight dinner (date).
I got the falafel platter with peroni and my friend had the shwarma platter. Mine had falafel with a side of hummus and baba ganoush while hers had chicken as the main with the same sides. I was slightly disappointed in the falafel because they were underdone and there was a strong taste of the baking soda used to make the falafel batter. However I loved both the sides that were served with warm pita. The cucumber/​tomato salad on my platter was undersalted but once I fixed that, it was fine. I wasn’t crazy about the wine/​beer list or the falafel but I’d come back to try some of the meat dishes.
It’s good to have a neighborhood Mediterranean place nearby. And the friendly service can’t be beat.
Overall 3.5 stars.

Phenomenal for lunch. The daily special – the leg of lamb sandwich – paired with one of their soups is as great as a lunch can get in the area. Super friendly and welcoming staff and unwavering quality.

I love their lentil and chickpea soups. I really like the greek salad, their dressing is very tasty. I also liked the tabouleh and hummus. I didn’t like the baba ganoush do to the texture, it was chunky but it had a decent flavor.
I definitely see my self returning.

By far the best food and customer service! Everybody is very friendly and inviting. Ariel remembered me after only a few visits and treats everyone like family. One of the best small dining atmospheres I’ve been to in Atlanta!
As a creature of habit and picky eater, I’ve only had the chicken shawarma wrap, plate and falafel. So I’m not too sure about other dishes, but ¹⁰⁄₁₀ times I have not been disappointed with the food. It’s always fresh yet the wait is never too long, I’m always offered water, and the pricing is on point. Give it it try, you will not be disappointed!

Went here based on Unilocal reviews and was not disappointed. The food is flavorful and delicious!
The service is courteous and prompt! Overall great experience, definitely will be coming back.

Dunwoody has many chain restaurants from PF Changs to Cheesecake Factory. After being a bit lazy on a Friday evening, we decided to go to Café Sababa after seeing the reviews.
The place is quite unassuming, it’s in a small shopping complex next to a Thai and Indian restaurant. The actual restaurant itself is pretty cozy, probably 10ish tables. When we entered, the guy in front greeted us warmly and said we could take any open table. At this time, around 7 on a Friday the place was starting to get busy, we could tell that many folks were regulars who were familiar with the menu.
After looking at the menu, we decided to order schnitzel, a lamb burger and hummus. The pita was very warm, soft, and fresh and dipping it in the hummus made it very addictive. Having unlimited refills of pitas only made it better, although we probably filled ourselves before our meals came out. The lamb burger was very moist with the optional feta cheese giving the burger an additional layer of depth that made me want to dig in more. The schnitzel was crispy and came with a grilled zucchini and rice which was very light and tasty.
Overall a really great place… you can’t argue with friendly service, great food at a reasonable price. We will definitely plan to go more regularly.
P. S. Checking in on Unilocal got us a free wine glass with our entrée, so I would definitely check in.

Café Sababa is alright. It’s a decent place to get lunch if you’re craving Mediterranean food. I was in a rush, so I got my food to-​go. Here’s what I had:
Falafel and Hummus: The falafel was just ok. I could taste kind of an anise or cardamom flavor to the falafel which definitely makes it unique, but it wasn’t exactly my favorite. The hummus was good and definitely tastes in-​house. I wonder if the babaganoush would have been tastier.
Lamb burger: This was a pretty large sandwich served on ciabatta bread. There’s a lot of sauce and oil on this that it was a bit of a mess to eat when I brought it home. I’m a fan of how juicy and spicy it is, but it’s probably best enjoyed there.
Honestly, I think most of the food is probably best enjoyed there. I’d be willing to give this place another try with their platters as I hear they’re large and filling, so I’ll keep Café Sababa in mind.

Just demolished the lamb burger and lentil soup. Both came out piping hot and delicious.
Guy at the front was really nice and had great recommendations.
Will be back!

Café Sababa Mediterranean Grill is located about in the middle of a shopping center on the Eastern side of N Shallowford Rd (to the right if you’re traveling North) that also contains Bay Leaf and Indian Bazaar grocery. This is a neighborhood eatery that features near-​Kosher Mediterranean foods with fresh flavors, good portions and reasonable prices. The menu is also plainly marked vegan (V) and/​or gluten free (GF) for those of you who care (obviously not me!).
I’ve been a bit hesitant writing about Sababa — I’ve been coming here for many years and it’s become one of my favorites for lunch — call me selfish but I did not want to spoil my great experiences there by bringing too much attention to the place, however over the years word has gotten out. The restaurant is family owned and run with a small staff and limited seating (they do quite a bit of take out). The simple dining room has padded benches along the walls and a few tables to either side of the path from the door to the counter. You can sit and and eat inside or at the tables outside under the awning that stretches across the shopping center. Parking is a bit limited, especially during lunch so I try to go early, around 11:30 AM or so to ensure a spot both in the lot and in the restaurant.
The menu is fairly simple, broken into a handful of categories. I usually go for the plates over the wraps but everything I’ve had has been very good. For lunch each of the plates have more than enough food for one to get very full. For dinner, do try some of the starters — I’m a big fan of the lentil soup and the Appetizer Combo These are my favorites:
Appetizer Combo — with falafel, hummus, babaganoush, tabouleh, chopped salad and pita, there’s plenty to go around. You’ll find the tabouleh very fresh and the falafel very well prepared, with a fresh-​parsley flavor that is quite good.
Falafel platter — this well-​organized platter is similar to the Appetizer Combo above — actually if you’re hungry I’d recommend the combo over the platter since you git a bit more for a dollar more. My vegan friends like this quite a bit and I’m very fond of it myself.
Shawarma Platter — seasoned chicken «strips» with babaganoush, shopped salad, hummus and tehina — this is one of my «go to» dishes.
Schnitzel Platter — breaded chicken breast cutlet, pan fried served with rice and grilled veggies. I’ve only had this once and honestly, there are better things on the menu. I’m sure fans of fried food will like it, but it seemed a bit dry and uninspired to me.
Gyro Platter — I have this quite often and if asked they will admit that the gyro meat comes pre-​packaged. No rotisserie of succulent meat spinning in the background at this restaurant, so you’re not getting that full-​Greek effect. However the quality of the meat is quite good and the supporting ingredients — cucumber-​tomato salad, and the side romaine salad are both also very good. The Platter comes with quartered pita but you can ask for whole if you want to assemble a wrap. The tzatziki sauce is thicker than what I’m used to but I still like it quite a bit — I believe they make then pre-​package to refrigerate to keep it fresh. It’s certainly not the heavy-​mayo sauce found at other gyro restaurants.
Lamb Burger — this is my recommendation if you’re «iffy» about Mediterranean food in general — I can’t remember anyone to whom I’ve recommended this succulent sandwich to who hasn’t raved about it. Served on ciabatta bread with choice of side. I especially like this for take-​out.
Roasted Leg of Lamb sandwich — as good as the lamb burger is, if they have the roasted leg of lamb as a special, go for this instead. It’s unusually flavorful and quite inspired.
Service is quite good and usually handled by Doni’s son (it’s been fun watching him grow up a bit over the years). For drinks there are a few house-​wines (and if you check in you’ll usually receive a «free glass of wine» offer. Beers include Mythos Greek Lagar, Peroni, Blue Moon and Sweetwater Blue (not that I’m drinking during lunch). Café Sababa also does a fantastic job catering — we’ve had them supply food for several events at work and the food is always fresh, well proportioned and delivered on time.
(a more detailed review with accompanying photos can be found in my blog).

Recently popped in on my lunch break. I saw they had a lamb sandwich special for lunch and I was already considering either that or the lamb burger. I’m so glad to have gone with the sandwich. It was the perfect sandwich with just the right amount of everything. The lamb was sliced almost like a roast or brisket would be, it was juicy, tender and succulent. The sandwich came in a ciabatta bun with carmalized onions, lettuce, tomato and a harissa (Moroccan red pepper spiced blend) aioli. The lamb had just the right amount of spiciness and seemed like it was cooked in rosemary and other herbs that rendered it absolutely delicious.
I called and asked if they used halal meat and they notified me that all their meat is halal except the ground beef. So all the lamb and chicken used are halal. I recommend you call and make sure before you go, if you adhere to halal restrictions.
I didn’t dine in but the restaurant was small and cozy and was almost all full for the lunch rush.
Go by and visit, I know I will be soon!

Located in an easily overlooked strip shopping center in Dunwoody, Café Sababa has been open since 2010. «Sababa» is a slang term in Hebrew and Arabic that loosely means «no worries» or «it’s all good» or «cool». «How was the party dude? Sababa!»
We visited at lunchtime. The small, rectangular, tile-​floored space is done in earth tones with local, «for sale» artwork adorning the walls. It’s a popular place and there’s often a wait but our timing was good and we immediately snagged a table.
A server quickly brought menus, recited the day’s specials and took our drink orders. It’s a family run operation that’s friendly, fast and efficient.
Sababa specializes in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. Chef/​owner Doni Tamli is a native of Israel and has over 25 years in the restaurant and catering business.
We started with an appetizer of Falafel and hummus. The ground chickpea balls were hot and crispy with a soft center. They were served with a side of tehina sauce, which is the Middle Eastern name for what we call tahini, a mixture of tahini, which is sesame paste, along with garlic and lemon juice. The hummus, another riff on the venerable garbanzo bean, was creamy smooth with a generous pore of olive oil in the center. Warm pita wedges served as the perfect utensils to get every last morsel.
The daily special appetizer was Potato Latkes laced with dill and served with a tzatziki sauce. They were an interesting play on the classic Hanukkah dish although the «latke purist» in our party did not care for the dill.
We ordered the Lamb Burger, the Chicken Shawarma Wrap and the Gyro Platter.
The freshly ground Lamb Burger was served on a grilled ciabatta roll with lettuce and tomato. A roasted red pepper and garlic aioli accompanied the burger and made the dish, supplying just enough flavor and moisture to shore up the slightly dry, yet tasty, burger.
The side of tabouleh salad was the right ratio of parsley to bulgur wheat with the parsley playing the starring role. Mint and lemon made the dish quite refreshing.
The Chicken Shawarma Wrap was a pita filled with tender, well-​seasoned chicken, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and tehina sauce. «Shawarma» typically refers to the method of cooking on a vertical rotating spit. While this version had avoided a spit, its preparation still resulted in a juicy and flavorful bird. Shawarma devotees might miss the lack of garlic sauce in this version but it was still very good. A small Greek salad with lots of Feta cheese accompanied the wrap.
The Gyro Platter was a generous portion of Gyro-​style lamb served with warm pita wedges. The meat was moist, tender and nicely spiced. It also came with a salad of Romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato and Feta cheese. Tzatziki sauce was on the side; Sababa’s version is thicker than most.
We opted not to partake in dessert but the Baklava looked very good.
How was Café Sababa? It was sababa, dude!

Nice Mediterranean option for the Dunwoody neighborhood. Ambience is casual, service is friendly and the food is pretty good. I was also drawn by the positive reviews from my favorite Unilocalers. My recommendations — Babaganoush and Chicken Shawarma. I’d probably skip the Tilapia … this isn’t a seafood restaurant :) I came w/​a party of 5 and while their entrees are designed for individuals, we ate family-​style and it worked fine. Ordered 1 app and 4 entrees. Love friends who love eating and «love love» friends who love sharing food :)
FALAFEL AND BABAGANOUSH — $ 7.75
How perfect they have a combo for two of my favorite Mediterranean apps. Falafels were pretty good and babaganoush was yummy — loved the smoky flavor.
SHAWARMA PLATTER — $ 11.99
Highly recommend this dish — in addition to Chicken Shawarma (very good), also came w/​Babaganoush (yummmmmy), Chopped Salad (cucumbers), Hummus and Tahini Sauce. It was like an appetizer and entrée all in one :)
COMBO KABOB PLATTER — $ 20.99
Picked the Ground Beef (reg. $ 11.50) and Lamb (reg. $ 15.50) for our combo. The Ground Beef was «spiced and seasoned chargrilled Angus beef logs» but tasted like a regular burger to me — still good though. The lamb kabobs were also good — no lamb flavor at all which is a plus for me. Also came w/​grilled zucchini (honestly my favorite part of the dish, haha) and rice pilaf.
TILAPIA PLATTER — $ 11.99
Bland and fishy :(Described though as «seasoned tilapia filet cooked w/​homemade sauce of caramelized onions, San Marzano tomatoes and roasted red peppers, served with rice pilaf.» We couldn’t even finish it.
BAKLAVA — $ 2.99
Their baklava is huge and mmmmm … very good.
Overall pretty good and next time I’d like to try their Lamb Burger which was raved about in the Unilocal reviews. Also do Unilocal check-​in and get a free glass of wine. Almost everyone at our table got wine — just $ 3.75/glass.
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UPDATE (1÷22÷15) —
LAMB BURGER — $ 9.75
Finally got to try lamb burger and loved it — I’m not a lamb person either. 8oz freshly ground and seasoned lamb, lettuce and tomato on grilled ciabatta with roasted red pepper and garlic aioli. The flavor of the aioli reminded me of pimento cheese. Also comes with a side — I got the Tabouleh Salad which was fresh and yummy. Service was super friendly and attentive.