Tea In Sahara — Restaurant in Providence

Absolutely Disgraceful – Avoid at All Costs

One of the worst customer service experiences I’ve ever encountered. I arrived and ordered a large teapot while waiting for two guests. After 20 minutes, a waitress stormed over with an incredibly disrespectful attitude, demanding, without any courtesy, that I move to a smaller table. No greeting, no explanation, just blatant rudeness.

Shockingly, things escalated when her manager got involved. Instead of correcting the situation, he doubled down with aggressive language and actually threatened me to leave. This kind of behavior is not only unprofessional, it’s hostile and completely unacceptable in any service setting.

To top it off, the place had a strong, unpleasant odor, hardly the atmosphere you’d expect when trying to enjoy a simple pot of tea. I walked out, and I won’t be stepping foot in that place again.

If you consider yourself someone with even basic standards for respect and cleanliness, do yourself a favor and stay far away. This place is a disgrace, and it does not deserve your business.

Response to the Manager of Tea in Sahara

You write with confidence, but without understanding.

I came to your café respectfully. I ordered tea and waited quietly for my guests. Instead of receiving hospitality, I was treated with rudeness. Your staff approached me with no greeting, no explanation, only a harsh demand to move. That is not how any guest should be treated.

When I asked for the manager, I expected a solution. Instead, you made the situation worse. You spoke aggressively, even using the phrase “جمع كرك” and the other staff member told me “سير تقود.” Anywhere else, that kind of language would have serious consequences. It was not just unprofessional, it was offensive.

In your reply, you try to shift the blame to me. You claim I refused to move because I didn’t like the chairs. That is simply not true. You say I was rude, again, not true. You talk about your “rules,” but you forget: rules must be applied with respect and courtesy, not arrogance.

A real manager knows how to speak calmly, listen carefully, and treat guests with dignity. You failed on all three.

As for the smell I mentioned, it was very real. Instead of accepting honest feedback, you dismissed it as a random insult. That shows a total lack of care for your customers.

Let me be clear: I entered your café peacefully. I left feeling insulted and disrespected. And I will not return to a place that clearly does not understand what hospitality means.

If you want your business to grow, start by learning how to treat people with basic respect , regardless of your...

I've never left a negative review for any business, but the service I received here was appalling. I visited once before with my wife, and had a great time. There was a gentleman, who I assume was the owner, who greeted us and took our order. He was very nice and we enjoyed the tea as well as some hummus with pita bread. Our second visit last night (2/2/24) was the complete opposite. After finding a seat and going to the counter to order, a young woman took, or attempted to take, our order. We ordered tea and she informed us that we should order a larger size since there were three members in our party and a small would not be sufficient. My wife asked what sizes they have, and the woman literally just lost it and told her to "tone it down" completely out of nowhere. Extremely rude and discourteous service, my wife even tried to deescalate and apologize, for no reason at all, for what she perceived as some sort of miscommunication. The woman behind the counter doubled down and was even more rude, flipping the screen towards us so that we could pay. We instead walked out, leaving the door behind us open. The owner came out to say something to us, but I could not open my car window in time to catch what he was saying (we were parked directly in front of the entrance) and then he shut the door. I'm fairly certain he'll read this, since he has responded to numerous other reviews. All I can say is whoever that young woman is, she should not be interacting with your customers if she is so volatile. Literally nothing transpired where she should have acted that way. She's hurting your business and you've lost customers and money over something completely avoidable, I would happily come in again if I received the same respectful, charming treatment I did on my first visit. What a shame, and judging by some of the other reviews, this isn't an anomaly. There are too many other cafes and tea spots in the area to compete with for you to offer service like you did...

I'm so glad my friend took me to this adorable tea shop. Walking in feels like entering a portal to far away from all of your problems. As someone who rarely feels comfortable/at home in public spaces, I could relax while sipping a cup of delicious Moroccan Mint Tea while catching up with my friend. The tea incredible-- minty and sweet and earthy and comforting. I could not stop refilling my cute little cup. Also, surprisingly cheap prices. I have not been able to find a drink for less than $7 in the area, but a pot for two people was $7. Warning for my fellow poor-tolerators-of-caffeine, the mint tea does have caffeine, but I was actually able to sleep less than two hours after finishing the pot.

Edit: Went again and had another great experience, though I do have a few notes to add. Music was really quiet and ambient the first time, but this visit the music was pretty loud and made it hard to hear conversation. Also, would totally recommend checking out the menu online-- there are so many cool tea options with caffeine and caffeine-free. I got the Karkaday and it was very good, would get it sweetened next time. Tried the churros and they were pretty good but had no bavarian cream as promised...