Sababa

Amazing! One of the best restaurants in town! Can’t go wrong with the falafel. Love that it’s in the heart of downtown.

Delicious! All vegetarian but you wouldn’t know it. Thankfully, there is no literature in this vegetarian restaurant that tries to convert the unconverted. They even offer «chicken» on the menu that is both delicious and soy-​based. The hummus has a nice spice, the vegetable sides are fresh and tasty, the portions are large and make good leftovers.
The tables are home made and charming, there is a kosher sink and very tasty Turkish coffee. It’s sweet, strongly spiced with cardamom and in a small portion.
I will definitely come back. Cheap, tasty, healthy and interesting. Bam. Done.

Sababa serves that food that meets that mythical perfect triangle of tasty, healthy, and cheap, with the added bonus of being steps from my apartment. I get takeout from here all the time and am always satisfied by their plates. The chicken shawarma is juicy, and I love having a variety of salads to counter the spice. Note that they have a hot sauce (more like hot salsa) that you can request that it surprisingly very, very spicy (I think from habaneros).

The food was delicious and fresh. The space seems random because it used to be a small ballet studio, so it’s a little weird, but not uninviting. The woman at the register was friendly, as was the server who came to bring me my food. I’ll be coming back. I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars because I think that they need better ventilation. If you’re planning on eating in, be prepared to smell like a Mediterranean platter when you leave.

Lookin for a healthy food option this is your spot. Plentiful coco plates full of fresh made Israeli cuisine, couscous, Cuke salad, etc. Flavorful chicken schwarma, refreshing teas/​hibiscus and warm staff. I’ll be back when I return to Gainesville, xoxo

This place is THE best! Sababa is my go to whenever I’m hungry and need to get something from out. The food is always super fresh, regardless of what your order, and you get a great amount for a fantastic price. The staff is always more than courteous which makes it easy to always go back. I can honestly say anything you order will be great. My favorite is the falafel platter :)

Unbelievable food. Phenomenal prices! What more can you ask? Also, they have a pretty good deal on Grubhub. check it out.

It was our first meal in Gainsville. We were welcomed by a friendly young woman, she was informative and helpful. She suggested to us as beginners to try the Chicken Shawarma entrée and falafel entrée which both came with 5 salads and a side (purple cabbage slaw, hummus, cucumber salad, cucumber with tomato and green cabbage slaw) they seemed pretty redundant but the flavors complimented well with each other that we didn’t really care that it was all the same components. The chicken in the shawarma plate was really flavorful and we’ll seasoned (my favorite!). The falafel had a good flavor but didn’t stand out as much as the chicken.
All in all, this place is a quick, fresh, light and tasty place perfect for lunch!

Simply incredible. Had Jachnun for the first time, it’s a real treat, a must have! As always, the chicken shawarma is seasoned to perfection and very delicious. Also had amazing falafel with Israely couscous. From everything being fresh and delicious to the staff being very friendly, Sababa saved my evening!

I’ve been meaning to try this place for a while and it did not disappoint. While the location is kinda hidden and the interior décor leaves something to be desired, the food definitely did not. The food was delicious! Fresh homemade salads were light, simple, yet refreshing and delicious. The Chicken Shawarma was well seasoned and well cooked, with great texture and a moist on the inside. I have heard great things about the desserts and the other dishes so I will have to be back to try more!

They are hidden in a shopping plaza in a slow traffic area in Downtown Gainesville. The key there is that they offer vegetarian options and all food is kosher. Their options are basically falafel and shwarma but since you’re going for a quick middle-​eastern fix, I guess it’s OK.
The only thing we didn’t like is that food comes spicy. I’ve been to a lot of middle-​eastern and Israeli places and they don’t cook spicy, they give you the option to add it of course. Service is friendly but a little slow.

Sababa, located in the same plaza as Maude’s, is an Israeli restaurant with options for both vegans/​non-​vegans. My friends and I received great service and suggestions from the older lady who was more than happy to help us first-​timers. Since we wanted to try different things, we ordered the schnitzel, falafel, and chicken shawarma. Our entrees also came with cous cous and pita bread. Their schnitzel was crispy, the chicken shawarma was seasoned well, and their falafel was good (you can’t go wrong with anything fried). I really liked the cous cous. We also tried their Turkish coffee, which my Turkish friend approved of. There were a lot of flavors on our plates to say the least. and Kosher friendly, apparently! Great place to try if you’re looking for something new.

Ok, so I like the food at Sababa, but can you guys please update your hours on Facebook/​Yelp??? On Sunday, I was craving Sababa and was ravenously hungry after a training run of 20 miles. I drive straight to Sababa to find it CLOSED! The hours of operation at the door said you were open on Sundays but with «SUMMER ONLY» in parentheses. On your Facebook page, and Unilocal,it does not say Summer only, so I assumed you were open on Sunday! It was very disappointing :(

Came here with my Pakistani friend around 8pm on a Friday, on her account that there were great reviews and food similar to her cuisine (the food is Israeli). Came in, and received sub-​par (little to no) service. The main attendant was busy talking to a co-​worker outside, and didn’t notice we were there after calling him a few times. He apologized for not noticing, but the other 1 – 2 employees were no better with service. We sat right outside, and had to unstack the metal chairs ourselves, and the waitress didn’t bother to walk down the ramp/​walkway to hand us the food, but instead handed it over the railing.
²⁄₈ options were out («We apologize for not having shawarma, but our meat is imported from Atlanta» ???). Service and food were average. Granted, this is more of a casual restaurant, but a restaurant, nonetheless.
Will not be returning to again.

Fantastic option in downtown Gainesville! I’d just finished a long 8 hour session with my awesome artist at Wunderland Tattoos, and walked across the courtyard to check out the menu at Sababa. The menu looked very Mediterranean — think Greek! However, they specifically serve Israeli food. Israel is in the Mediterranean of course, but I don’t really think of falafel (as an example) as being Israeli. I always think of Greek. Regardless, the food was made with care and served by some really friendly people.
They offer many vegetarian options, both as entrees and as pita sandwiches. What I love the most (besides the food) is how personable they are. A young husband and wife run the place — he cooks while she takes care of customers. You can just see the thoughtfulness in everything they do from preparing the various salads (there were 5 different types of salads on my plate!), to how they interact with customers placing their orders, to how they follow up to make sure customers are pleased with their selections.
My only request is to get rid of the paper plates and use actual table settings, but of course that will require a dishwasher. I’d eat here again in a heartbeat the next time I’m in Gainesville getting some ink done!

Today my husband and I went to Sababa for lunch. I like to look at menus/​photos ahead of time, so I already had my lunch picked out prior to arriving.
When we arrived we were promptly greeted by a very friendly young woman at the counter (I’m assuming she is the owner). I told her I was vegan because I wanted to confirm what I wanted to order would be safe for my dietary needs. She went over the entire vegan menu with me and suggested her favorite. I then changed my mind about my order-​ha! She was so informative and I really appreciate that she took the time to go over the menu with me.
Now onto the food…
–Falafel platter: The falafel balls had great flavor and texture. Slightly crispy on the outside and perfect on the inside. I don’t know how they would fare if you took them to go, but they were great eating them fresh. The salads, pickled veggies and couscous that came with the platter were really good. I definitely enjoyed all of the flavors.
–Vegan Schnitzel: This is the entrée the young woman suggested. She steered me in the right direction! I wasn’t sure about this since it is fried, but it wasn’t greasy and was totally delicious! The sweet and spicy sauce was finger licking good, seriously. The schnitzel is non GMO soy. I love the fact she told me that detail. This entrée came with all of the salads, veggies, couscous and pita I mentioned above.
–Baklava: My husband loved this! He says the flavor and texture were excellent. Not vegan, it contains honey.
The space is on the smaller side, but there are tables both inside and outside. Nothing fancy, but I wasn’t expecting it to be. Sababa may be small in size, but it’s huge on flavor. The total for 2 platters, baklava, one soda and one water came to around $ 30 before tip. It was a lot of food, so if you’re going at lunchtime you may want to try just a sandwich instead. I would definitely recommend stopping in for a meal!

Description:
I don’t know too much about the history of Sababa, but I was told it used to be at the UF Hillel before recently moving in downtown. A few doors away from Maude’s, Sababa is a relatively straightforward and simple restaurant.
Food & Service:
Space inside is limited but they do have a few tables outside you can sit at. Not really a problem unless you’re trying to bring a big group of friends there to eat. The menu is handwritten on a big black board with lots of options to choose from. I scanned Unilocal before coming and decide to get the falafel platter. I probably won’t get the platter again but it was very reasonable for the price. The staff was very friendly and seemed to enjoy their new location. The enthusiasm could even be felt from the older lady that worked there (maybe a grandparent or mother?).
The food came out pretty quick. Like other reviewers have pointed out, the falafel was really well made. Side tip, you definitely want to eat them quickly while they’re still hot though! The pickled cucumbers were a nice addition and the salad was very subtle but refreshing. I wasn’t a big fan of the other side items as much but that could just be personal preference. The hummus and pita bread were solid. The couscous on the side was light but had a nice subtle flavor to it!
Final Thoughts:
All in all, it was a quaint experience to say the least. I’ll be honest and say it’s not my preferred type of food but they definitely know what they’re doing. I will probably be back to try the Schnitzel and Shawarma soon!

So excited when this placed opened up… I saw the menu posted on Unilocal!And rushed over as soon as I could.
Since moving to gainesville, we hadn’t found anywhere that serves chicken shawarma… But now we have Sababa!!!
So far I’ve had the Turkish coffee (highly caffeinated), chicken (tender, moist, flavorful), the pickled salad (refreshing and addictive), the fries (super fresh), and the hummus (delicious!).
I’m also exited to try the falafel and the brunch offerings (they have challah french toast!!!)
Definitely will be frequenting this place :)

Overall, I am impressed with this family-​run, warm-​hearted, simple, restaurant offering solid, authentic Israeli and Jewish food. It’s not fancy at all – see James’ review for more details on the atmosphere – but it is in a great location and has good food. The emphasis, despite having a decent amount of seating, is very much on take-​out: indeed, they only have disposable table-​service currently. Given that they are in a central downtown location, take-​out should be the way to go as far as keeping down overhead and providing a niche not really filled yet.
What impressed me about the food was most of all their side salads that come with meals such as the shawarma or the falafel plates: there are a variety of these salads and you can pick just a couple to have a decent amount of or a sampling of all six. I went with all six: a chick-​pea salad, a cabbage one, a baba ghanoush, two different cucumber salads, and one of just carrots. This was a lot of salad, folks, and all six were very fresh and very good. So good I ordered some of them also to take home with me. There was also a side of couscous and pita and both were just as good as the salads while the falafel I had was as good or better than any I’ve had anywhere else, probably ever. And I eat a lot of Levantine cuisine.
They make everything in-​house except for some of the desserts which come from Kosher bakeries in New York and elsewhere. Which means, no, they don’t make their own baklava, alas. Their mint-​infused iced tea is very very good, albeit more Moroccan than Israeli to me. They also have a Moroccan Fish which is salmon cooked in a tomato-​based sauce. Now, to be clear, this would be called «Moroccan Fish» in Israel, also. And it’s not exactly how they fix fish in Morocco, but it’s a great addition to the menu regardless.
There is a small sink for washing your hands prior to eating in the dining area: this is a Hebrew thing, as the scriptures ordain hand-​washing prior to eating. However, it’s a very sage idea here because it means you don’t have to trek out to the Sun Center’s bathrooms to wash your hands. Skateboarders like me appreciate such thoughtfulness. From looking at it, the kitchen seemed to be keeping with Kosher edicts, too: most of what was visible was pareve but still seemed like things were kept as they ought to be, and one of the staff was telling me how hard it was to find sources for Kosher items. So, if you’re Jewish and care about Kosher preparation, I think you’ll love this place. The imported sweets of course had the hechsherim on them, too.
I could probably write another whole paragraph on how wonderful their salads are.
So why four stars, not five? For one, I am very irked that no restaurant offering Levantine food in Gainesville dares branch out beyond the basics. I have the same issue with The Spot and its concentration on Greek standards, but nothing more. Once you get into Levantine cuisine, including Israeli cuisine, you find many, many, dishes beyond the kebobs and shawarma and falafel you always see in America. And someone needs to step up and serve more variety. I also didn’t like that they lacked any glass or ceramic cups for their Turkish coffee: if served in a wax-​coated paper cup, there is a good chance the coffee – served hotter than standard coffee – would melt the wax, yet this is all they had. So I didn’t get any Turkish coffee in fear I’d have Turkish coffee with melted wax. My concern is not rootless: I’ve had similar things happen elsewhere.
All in all though, here you have a happy and dedicated family providing very high-​quality if humble fare at reasonable prices. I’ll be back for sure.

Already having a solid following to warrant the decision, Sababa UF finally made the move into their own space to stake a claim on authentic, tasty Israeli classics. Whether or not you are closely tied to Israeli culture or are just tied closely to the interests of your stomach, Sababa offers up fresh and tasty favorites. There is definitely room to improve as they take on the form of a restaurant in the downtown space, so keep this in mind as you read on.
The Space
Located in the Sun Center right downtown, you can already find their name listed amongst the businesses in that area. This, thankfully, means that they ARE ELIGIBLE for the oh-​so-​exclusive Sun Center parking lot (yay for no towing vultures!). There are two doors that connect to their section of the building, and the 2^nd one will actually have the «Sababa» signage and hours. Enter you will find a quaint space for seating, a sink (you never know, I guess), and an entryway to the kitchen your left.
While there is enough room to sit a few groups as people enter and exit for lunch, this does not feel like a dine-​in kind of place for me, especially if they tow their following from campus. A large chalkboard lists out their daily/​regular menu and you will simply order at the counter for your goods.
The Service
I came opening day for lunch and they were certainly in the process of working through an opening day rhythm. Everyone was definitely working hard but it feels like they are going to need a bit of time to relax into the expanded menu and needs of a larger demand. Their hours boast daily operation (including a Sunday Brunch starting at 8 am) but I have my concerns, at least for the next couple of weeks. I got my order to go and it took roughly 15 minutes to actually get my sandwich, but I do see this as growing pains. I also was handed the sandwich, utensils, and coffee directly without a bag, which was fine but the offer would have been nice.
What I did love is that, while not always the most efficient decision, the owner was out serving water, greeting new and familiar faces, and keeping an enthusiastic attitude in general. Micro-​management can be a risk factor for passionate business owners but this seemed more like genuine excitement and good spirit so this will hopefully serve them well as they get comfortable with the business pace.
The Food
The food I have had before, and I am very happy to see what got added due to their having more room to work. They offer several key Israeli & Mediterranean favorites (as well as veggie-​friendly variations), including falafel, schnitzel, and shawarma, and also have some sweets to tie the bow on things if you were so inclined. Already in the «know» about how tasty their fresh falafel is, I opted to give the Vegan Shawarma a shot alongside a cup of Turkish Coffee.
The Turkish Coffee (B-​) could have been a winner for me if they had filled the cup up (I asked for it black when I ordered it but it was filled about 2/3’s of the way). At $ 2.50 for a 12oz this was a letdown, not to mention the coffee was lukewarm. That being said, it tasted pretty smooth and the touch of cardamom imparted a nice, balanced spice to the brew.
As for the Vegan Shawarma (A-​), they definitely did not disappoint my prior experience of their cuisine. A crispy, refreshing mix of vegetables (cucumber, chickpea, tomatoes) and sauce stacked on top of a slightly spiced, savory protein (I believe it was lentil-​based but will need to check with them when I have a minute) with fair portions for the price, my only complaint would have to be that the pita pocket itself lacks quite enough durability to handle it all!
Final Thoughts
If they can swiftly keep up with the hours and traffic they get without hurting the quality of their food, Sababa will be a hit in the downtown area for a quick, affordable, filling lunch. I do not see this as a «sit down and have dinner» spot, but considering they are walking distance from the office, they will get to know me a bit better for sure. I hope to add a star to this review soon.