Sababa Falafel Shop — Restaurant in Garden Grove

Updated Review: When I first visited Sababa, I absolutely loved the falafel on Jerusalem bread, but all the other items I had were so disappointing.

Today I returned and the experience has brought me to a 5 star review!

A falafel on the Jerusalem bread was still delicious. I also tried the falafel in a pita and wow that's one of the best pita sandwiches you can get! The same great falafel but now in the fluffy delicious pita.

And the newer item to me the fatteh. Being Lebanese/Syrian, this is already in my normal cuisine but Sababa knows how to make it right!! Not many places outside my home kitchen leave me satisfied with the fatteh but this was delicious. I only wish the nuts were hot but it didn't ruin the experience. The cashews were crunchy, the pita chips so crispy and light, the yogurt delicious, and soft chickpeas. This was outstanding!

As usual, same great service as well!

I really wanted to give 5 stars but there are just too many serious quirks that can't justify the 5.

Service is stellar across the board. I witnessed and encountered amazing staff friendly and helpful throughout my entire time in line.

I ordered the fried veggies, falafel sandwich on Jerusalem bread, rice pudding, and tahn or the yogurt drink.

I'll start with the best part of the meal - the sandwich. The falafel is light and crispy with great flavor. The bread is simply perfect. Coated in so much sesame, toasted nicely before being prepared, it's crusty, tasty, simply wonderful. It's one of the best middle eastern breads you'll eat. The veggies, pickles, and toppings are all fresh and delicious and come together for a unique sandwich.

Now for the bad.

The fried veggies were complete mush. They are not fried to order or even fried fresh enough to keep their texture, they are served mushy and soft. All the batter becomes doughy and it's just not worth it.

And for the rice pudding, the flavor is there but the milk curdled when cooking so it's also mushy with chunks of milk throughout the cup. It's not exactly something you can scoop out or set aside.

So although I will definitely be back for the main sandwiches/pitas, that's really all this place is...

I was coming out of a long shift and wanted to bring home some good food to enjoy with my wife, who also was worn down from work. I ordered ahead on the Sababa website, but accidentally forgot to change when I wanted the food prepared. I was still over an hour away from ending my shift, but had ordered it to be prepped ASAP. My fault completely. I tried calling the restaurant numerous times, left messages, but no one could pick up. Over an hour later, I made it to the restaurant. Despite the busy line of customers, Islam greeted me with a smile and asked if I was picking up. I told her the mistake I made ordering online and the phone call attempts. She understood and checked to see what she could do for me. She came back with Kenda, who explained that they don't currently have a phone answering service. The workaround is to just call when you're on the way and they'll make it as soon as it's called in. I appreciated their advice and was fine with taking my food home. After all, it was my mistake that I ordered too soon. However, Kenda and Islam went above and beyond to make sure I had the great meal that my wife and I had been looking forward to! They re-made my order quickly, packed it up, and handed me the freshest falafel and ribeye pita sandwiches ever! I could speak volumes about how delicious and satisfying Sababa's food is, how efficiently the restaurant is run by its excellent staff, or how clean and well-kept the kitchen and dining areas are, but you can read that in anyone of these other reviews. I'm specifically writing this review to highly commend the amazing customer service of Islam and Kenda! These two are the greatest examples of why Sababa's success goes beyond its menu. On a busy night (and every night is busy here), they cared enough about providing high quality food AND service to the customer experience. I wanted the owners and everyone reading this review to know that it's because of hard workers like Kenda and Islam, and their commitment to satisfying their customers, that Sababa Falafel Shop is poised for continued success in 2025 and well beyond! Keep up the excellent work! And thank you again for your...

The employees at this restaurant are extremely rude. I ordered a pita chicken sandwich and noticed a sign in the store that said "take as much as you want." So, I asked the female worker to add more of my favorite garnishment, which is red radish. However, she frowned and sternly informed me that there would be an extra charge. I was surprised because her response contradicted the store sign. Nevertheless, I didn't say anything and assumed they were saving it for other customers or had a limited supply.

Then, another worker from a different station took over the service of my sandwich, and they were also difficult. I asked this second worker for more sauce, and she gave me a puzzled look as if to say, "Isn't that enough?" But it wasn't. I didn't want just a small amount of tahini, I wanted it spread throughout the sandwich. Maybe she thought it was sufficient for her, but not for me. I then asked for more lemon. They had lemon slices available, but they were small and meant for water cups. I wanted a thicker wedge of lemon to put in my sandwich. However, she refused and said there would be an extra charge. I reminded her that I hadn't been charged before for asking for lemon, which was true. She became loud and insisted on the additional charge. I was unhappy with her tone, demeanor, and the previous female worker who served me. Both of these women made a big fuss over customers asking for a little more sauce or garnishment.

I was so upset that I walked away and tried to contact the restaurant's management. However, their phone number was always unanswered, and no one ever called me back. It's not just about the money, but their treatment of customers. These selfish female workers were making a big deal over small change, and it created an ugly scene. One of the girls even went as far as telling me not to come back to their establishment if I couldn't pay. What kind of people are these hot-tempered Palestinians? American workers don't get upset over minor things like these Palestinian girls. It's disappointing because I was sympathetic to...