Sultan Cafe and Grill

I’ve been to Shishas, Gorillaz, Amore: by far the smoothest hookah I have smoked. It’s not heavy, it’s not harsh, not too dry or too sweet. Our server„ made it so smooth it made me want to keep taking hits instead of needing water and breaks on and off.
We got Tropical explosion with the special base ice tip perfect.
And the boba tea is really good too. Not too sweet or unsweetened. Just right.
2÷11÷2016
Have come here a few times by now, it’s me and boyfriends come to spot. Last few times hookah has lacked. Tonight I came by myself while I wait for my boyfriend to get outta class and our friends to meet up with us here, their is barely anyone here… Probably like 4 little 2 – 4 people groups, no music, it’s silent. I was greeted by staff Q who where all Chilling out on the couch, and told to take a seat any where.
Sat down, texted my friend I was here at 7:32 pm, and wasn’t helped till 7:45. No one came to give me a menu, nothing. –_–

Best place to chill and meet new people! It’s like my second home! Staff is extremely friendly! Spanky is the coolest waiter, he works Thursday and Saturday, so make sure to go see him, he will make the most amazing hookah! All the waiters are awesome! Everyone has to go here and tell all your friends!

Sultans is seriously the only hookah bar I go to in San Antonio. Everyone is super friendly and the runners constantly check on your table. No matter what day of the week I go or how busy it is everyone stays awesome. I have to say Spanky goes above and beyond to make sure you have the best experience while there! It’s definitely my go to place to have a good time, smoke really good shisha, and listen to a variety of mixes from the dj of the night

Very good service with the business owner.

The rice bowl is pure deliciousness! The beef is succulent and very tender. The lemon mint hookah is great as well. Service is great, not pushy but get you what you need.
Five stars all around!

To put it briefly, the environment was lackluster but the food was quite tasty.
The interior looks deteriorated, cloud filled of various stenches of hookah in the air, chock full of what seem to be 18 – 21 year olds smoking and trying to look suave. Not to mention, there is a section with music blaring, a guy DJng, and strobe lights. You get the idea.
We were tended to by a very polite and attentive man named Matt. He was prompt with our order and delivery of food. Everything was fresh and hot.
I am not interested in the hookah whatsoever, and only would come here again out of desperation because the environment is that unsettling. I wish the food could be transported to another appealing venue. 4 cheers or stars for the food/​service /​Matt.

Very laid back and chill environment. Servers are attentive and nice. I don’t smoke hookah, but I’ve never heard any complaints about theirs and I’ve been quite a few times. I love that their kitchen is open late. It’s nice to be able to grab something to eat n the med center after 9 that isn’t tacos or burgers. Love the rice bowls!

What an awesome place to smoke hookah and relax! Never ordered food here but they make smoothies and coffee drinks that can be on the odd side of you arnt used to that sort of cuisine. Love the fountains outside and all the accent lights! If it’s a nice night, opt to sit on the patio!

I think they are great, but it ends there. They are catering to hookah enthusiasts and the food is fine but that is it. Nothing really stands out to me other than the fact that they try to keep a clean place and the regulars that can enjoy it!

This place is amazing !! The staff is friendly. The bubble tea is to die for & I absolutely love their Greek salad. Great place to chill w/​friends or hang solo

By far the best hookah in San Antonio. They play great music, and the tea and food are great as well. I definitely recommend Sultan’s Café over any other hookah spot in San Antonio.

Sometimes takes awhile to get staff members attention. They have a ton of seating but mostly outdoors. If you want anything inside show up early! The shisha is always delicious and they have really good combinations!

The food was delicious and the service was very nice. I think I’m a little old for the typical crowd that comes to this place since I was born in 1983. That means that I am 5 to 10 years too old for anybody here. Lucky for me, I’m more of a people watcher than anything else so it didn’t bother me being overage. Lol!!! ;)

Been here a few times and most times it’s awesome! Great hookah and chill place to hang out, but the staff (one in particular) take to long. The first time a friend ordered a bulba drink that took 15 mins to arrive, I figured Ok it’s busy. Next visit I ordered hot tea that didn’t even get to our table. The staff that took the order offered to pay for it since it took so long, we still didn’t get it and still ended up paying for tea that was not brought to us. Not to take away from this place the hookah is awesome, very relaxing with good music. my only advice is that the staff tend to customers that aren’t friends with the staff more.

came here to grab some dinner to go. although i had called my order in ahead of time, the wait was still pretty long. their parking lot is tiny and full so i had to park in an awkward non-​spot near the entrance. i was looking forward to some good food after reading so many great Unilocal reviews. i got the «chicken shawerma» entrée and was pretty disappointed in how much food i found in the box given that it was $ 10. the chicken was extremely dry and was doused in salt. no, not just the typical saltier-​than-​homecooked-​food restaurant salty. this was full on someone-​must-​have-​taken-​the-​cap-​off-​the-​salt-​shaker salty. in fact, the food basically tasted bitter. even the white rice! the pita bread was stale, hard, and seemed to be days old. the hummus was not memorable. in the end, i couldn’t even force myself to eat it and had to toss it. overall, a disappointment. :(

If you’re looking for a nice, wholesome, place to smoke hookah, don’t come here. BUT if you’re looking for a chill, laidback place to hang with friends then definitely come to sultans! The servers there are really nice, I never had a bad experience with the service. Yeah the furniture’s a little busted but that’s what makes it so relaxed. Whoever is in charge of the music is genius because every song that comes on jams. Last time I went there was a full on impromptu freestyle session going on and even the employees hopped in! I like sultans because it doesn’t try so hard. it just works.

In short, this place needs work on everything except the food– so you’ll probably have to overlook a lot.
We came here to use a Groupon for dinner– came here twice, actually, because the first time it was barely dusk and the place had already transformed into a nightclub, completely with throbbing bass and dubstep, and crowds of teenagers that probably violated the firecode. While I was initially turned off, we stayed at first, because we figured it was busy enough that it must be pretty good.
Unfortunately after walking in and getting ignored for a few minutes until we were seated, we were then left to fend for ourselves for nearly twenty minutes without a single person checking on us for drink, food, or hookah orders. Not sure how every other table was packed with people and pipes, but maybe they just didn’t assign the table to anyone.
Nighttime customer service issues aside, we came back one afternoon for an early dinner around 6pm– probably the only time to get actual food here without getting a headache from the music, as they are not open lunch hours.
Fortunately this is where the review turns around– they have a middle eastern pizza appetizer that is similar to a quesadilla and just as delicious, served with a creamy sauce that vaguely resembled hummus but was about ten times more tasty.
We also ordered gyro burger and a burrito-​like item, along with their infamous curly fries– loved all menu items and was surprised by how they’re not more restaurant-​like considering the fact that they can put out qualify food.
Unfortunately I also want to note here that despite the fact that this place is pretty busy, it’s frequented by teenagers and/​or immature college students, and the décor reflects that– I don’t know if the décor is crappy because the customers don’t treat it well, or if they choose to have poor furnishings because the target audience is teenagers and they don’t care.
Regardless, the walls are mostly red and black, which is fine if you’re going through some angst and painting your parents’ basement, but it’s kind of pathetic for a restaurant/​hookah bar. The furniture all looks like it came from Goodwill circa 2010 and is falling apart but adequate– think futons and squashy couches with torn cushions and IKEA tables with scuff marks and wobbly legs.
Wish this place would clean up and be open during the day– surely you can still have good food AND hookah AND not look like a shack, right? I know I’ve seen other places do it…

I have pretty much been around the world and tried hookah in every place visited.
With that said Sultan café and grill serves the best shisha, hookah, argillah what ever u want to call it on the planet. I wish they had more locations! Maybe one in Hong Kong, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta and Sheznen. I would then be SET!
Owners are great too God bless em…

I have been coming here for over six years now. Maybe I am a little bit biased, but since I grew up with it this is my favorite hookah spot in the city. Surprisingly, I have never had their food! I honestly don’t know why. haha I must get too caught up relaxing & chatting with friends. :)
The owners are awesome too.

This is the spot to be if you’re looking for a hip hookah bar. Definitely has a more younger crowd, but the atmosphere stays very chill. They COULD upgrade the chairs and tables a bit since it looks a little worn. They also have drinks and Indian food if you’ve got the munchies.
The best part about this hookah bar though is the service. All the servers are very nice and polite. They do their best to make sure you’re satisfied with your orders.
There’s indoor and outdoor seating available. I’ve been here on a weekday and also on a weekend and honestly, it gets packed during all times of the week. If you have a larger party, be prepared to wait!
If I ever visit San Antonio again, this would be my number one choice for a bit of hookah fun!