Sama Cafe — Restaurant in Houston

Dear reviewers this is my new updated review after Sama cafe truly made it right and gave me an amazing experience that I would never forget:

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank “Sama” management and staff. The owner Mr Azam himself reached out to me after my review and left his phone number. Via text he apologized for the bad experience and explained they have been having a huge number of people that day, which made things spiral out of control a bit. He said he would love to have me back over to show me the real Sama experience and it’s amazing food over a complimentary meal for 2. I accepted and went over dinner. Himself, his wife and several staff members came to greet me. We ordered the mixed grill and Jordanian mansaf, and they were absolutely amazing and flawless. I am a very fair person, all black and white and I do believe that sometimes it can be overwhelming but the way Sama management handled this situation and how they made it right is what really makes me respect its management and its business ethic. I am certainly giving Sama 6/5 stars if possible and will come back hands down for more amazing food. Now I can say I highly recommend this place

Below is my old review 1 week earlier. They truly made it right in less than 1 week.

I am normally not a review writer but i could not pass on this one. I have never ever been treated like this in a restaurant in my life. I went to this place for a Ramadan dinner buffet, which is $35. I went around 8:15 PM, and when i went there most item trays were already almost gone. First of all i could not find any plates and i had to ask multiple staff members to get some more out. They finally did, but the problem is there was NO FOOD. They DO NOT replenish the consumed trays. What kind of buffet is that? I didnt get to eat 70% of the main items that were offered which are not much to start with. This is a rip off and absolutely not professional. I will never ever go to this place, add to that the...

Me and my friends went last night for the Ramadan Iftar buffet, so let me start with the one positive thing, the food was good ( if you were one of the lucky ones who got to try it before it was gone). We’ve been to other Iftar buffets before, this by far has been the worst buffet we’ve ever been to. First, I wouldn’t call this a buffet. At any buffet, the catering staff play a crucial role in keeping the buffet table neat and replenished, ensuring that there are always options available for diners. That wasn’t the case at all. Once the food is gone it doesn’t get replenished and because of that we didn’t get to try some of the stuff that was on the buffet, keep in mind there wasn’t a big selection of items to choose from either. Some people in my group didn’t even get to try the lamb meet, my husband got a piece that was mostly bones and when he went to get more it was gone, no meat at all, just rice. Besides, there were no plates available, we had to wait for the staff to wash and bring them out. Same thing for the tea, no glasses were available, you needed to keep letting the staff know that we were out of glasses. As for the dessert, one tray of Kenafe was brought out, and of course not everyone got to have a piece since it was gone in a matter of minutes. The buffet isn’t cheap, it’s $35 per person. Some of my friends decided to order something from the menu instead since half of the food was gone already, their order took about 40 minutes to be ready, the service was beyond slow, no one comes to you to check and see if you need anything. My friends had to wait for half an hour for someone to actually show up to take their orders. May be our experience would’ve been better had we gone any other time but...

I recently visited this restaurant and was pleasantly surprised by how well they have maintained the beautiful interior. The atmosphere is elegant, clean, and well-organized, making for a comfortable dining experience. The owners, a husband and wife, truly set the tone. They lead the way in dancing, engaging with guests, and ensuring everyone is having a great time. Their energy and hospitality are heartwarming, making the experience even more special.

Reservation was seamless—easy to make and follow through with. The food was good, though I would suggest serving all the dishes at once rather than one plate at a time for a more cohesive dining experience. It seemed like our waiter was handling more tables than he could manage, which affected the service flow a bit. The restaurant might benefit from having more waiters and fewer busboys solely focused on table cleaning.

The audio quality was excellent, and the space was open for dancing, as some Arabic restaurants can feel male-dominated. This place, thankfully, fosters a warm, family-friendly, and group-oriented environment.

Overall, this restaurant has a lot of charm and potential. Wishing them all the...