Awesome place to hang out for hookah! Glad i found this place! My Taiwanese friend taught my friends how to blow circles and they got so addicted. I also enjoyed the fish and chips. They were so yummy and my mouth is still watering. They have great music with matching video. Sometimes it's funny and sometimes things look pretty weird. They have belly dancers in those videos dancing to hip hop music.
(5)
Caleb A.
This high rating is mainly due to the service which was great. We walked in to hookah at around 11:20 pm (on a weeknight when they close at 12). Not only did they welcome us but said we could stay for an hour even after closing time. We were impressed by how hospitable they were. $5 per person for byob and $15 for hookah for 2 people - we used a yelp check in discount ($5 off) but even without it this place is far less expensive then many of the ritzy center city hookah bars. Definitely check this place out!
(5)
Amanda J.
Came in here for hookah for the first time during a spontaneous Philly trip last week, and I'm so glad I did! The service was friendly and attentive, the hookah was great and priced nicely, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Great music. I will definitely be returning.
(5)
Rod K.
Very friendly service but I'm upset with the hookah service overall. I'm a big-time hookah person, and know a lot about this stuff. I asked for one al fakher mint hookah, and it arrived promptly. As I said, the owners there are very, very nice, but this is where it all went bad. The hookah tasted like a ton of flavors mixed together. Mint hookahs should have their own hookah and their own hose. I shouldn't be smoking off of a hookah that has gone through a ton of flavors. They also use really cheap coals. I only used two sets of coals on the bowl before it was completely dead. We talked about why the bowl was dead he said I had to get a refill and opened the foil inside the hookah and I saw that it wasn't even fully packed, so I got a refill at $10. I thought it was unfair the way they were serving the hookah. Be weary of these things when going there to smoke hookah. I did not try and of their food so I have no review for that.
(2)
Nicole W.
I absolutely enjoyed my experience here and the owner Tony is wonderful. Whenever you're in Philadelphia on South St stop in and have a bite to eat, a long island ice tea and good conversation.
(5)
Tara D.
The people who work here were awesome to us and gave us the outdoor area in the back privately. They even marked off our second hookahs after we were there for a while. Fantastic service, perfectly packed hookahs, and attentive servers. We will be back frequently.
(5)
Yafa D.
I absolutley love coming to this place. There hookah is fantastic and not over done. It's seriously legit, and the flavors are amazingly smooth. The food was amazing, they are egyptian and definitley know how to make Mediterranean food. There limeade drink is the best, I suggest you try it first! Great customer service!
(5)
Chris M.
Best place on south street for a genuinely fun experience. Staff is phenomenally friendly. The owners tony and Mary are the type of people who spend their life investing in a place that THEY would even spend time at. Bring everyone you know to this place if you like amazing hospitality, good music, homemade food, and good hookah.
(5)
Juliana M.
EXCELLENT PLACE! There's not many restaurants/bars I've been to where I was actually sad to leave. The service is absolutely great, all the workers are attentive. And compared to other hookah bars this place actually has reasonable prices. Also, the music is top notch! Can't wait to come back
(5)
Alex L.
Second time here. And I can honestly say I really enjoy the environment and the hospitality. The owner served us personally and made great recommendations for hookah and food. Great service. Would definitely recommend this place for most inexperienced smokers that need guidance and also the everyday hookaher.
(5)
Shili S.
This place is really amazing. We came here for hookah and it is really good. Owners are friendly and fun to talk to. Also we tried lamb shawarma sandwich with french fries, it was delicious. I will recommend it to my friends. Sure I will be back here for more food and hookah.
(5)
Elizabeth R.
Mo and Tony were amazing with our seven person group. They were so accommodating. Hookah was great and they replaced coals many times. Thank you!! :)
(5)
Andrew S.
Every time i go in i always have a blast with my friends. Friendly owner and great service as always. Love the hookah and they are always great in the weekend to get some food late. I highly recommend saqaara to anyone.
(5)
Laura Jill S.
This review is for hookah & service only. On the positive: the hookah was great. Tasty smoke, beautiful hookah. Also, I enjoyed the company I was with, so that helped. But the service & atmosphere...yeah, I won't be going back there. Really strange energy in this place, also we were the only ones there. Just awkward & uncomfortable. We were there smoking our hookah in the window booth & all the guys who worked there were sitting in the back just kind of chilling. Oh, and there was nothing with which to dry my hands in the bathroom. Ick. So, not TOO terrible so far, right? But here's what really pissed me off. They refused to serve us tap water. They would only give us bottled water. Obviously, they wanted to charge us for water, which is tacky. But it really bothered me because I go out of my way to NOT use plastic bottles. If I'd had my big purse, I'd have taken the empty bottles with me to recycle, because I'm sure they were just tossed in the trash. So...thanks for giving a crap about the planet, Saqqara, well done. :-/
(2)
Tamim K.
A very nice hookah spot in Philly. The hookahs are always smooth clean and flavorful. You can tell that they really put effort into maximizing your hookah smoking experience. Its also evident how much they care for their customers. GREAT SERVICE! Warm and friendly owners. Excellent prices! If you need a place to chill and smoke hookah and rat great food, I highly recommend this place!
(4)
Nevan S.
10 Arabic speaking friends and I met for dinner at Saqqara Cafe to try Adel's (the owner's) homemade kosheri. For those of you who have never tried it kosheri is a traditional Egyptian dish made with rice lentils elbow pasta all covered in a spicy red sauce. Saqqara's version of this dish was wonderful. It hit the mark. Spicy but not overly so. Best of all it was made fresh by Adel for our group. We would all highly recommend a visit to Saqqara cafe and trying this particular dish.
(4)
Keri F.
Owner Tony was super friendly. Had a wonderful time. Definitely come here for hookah!
(5)
Stephanie O.
If you're looking for a good hookah Cafe then this is your place. It's a cozy spot with A friendly staff. There's a good variety of hookah to choose from including the flavor guava and even the tea is pretty good. I'd recommend this spot to everyone.
(5)
Asa C.
Awesome place! Really friendly owners and great service. Nice place to hang out with friends. Definitely would recommend :) great shisha and the owners are very helpful with selecting flavors, making this a weekly treat for sure.
(5)
Audrey C.
As others have mentioned, great hospitality, awesome song mix, and good hookah. We called ahead of time and the owner was literally waiting for us at the door. The only area of improvement would be the seating - could be slightly more relaxing and comfortable for hookah. But, they also serve food, which could explain the seating and setting. Would recommend to a friend looking for a hookah spot in Philly.
(5)
Donesia D.
Good prices and good flavors. A friend and I just had hookah but it seems to have a huge menu for for food as well. In walking distance and close to other bars.
(5)
Nujat N.
The place is nice compare to other in philly. And the price is good too. Friendly owners, good music. Will come back again.
(3)
Justin D.
This place is absolutely awesome. Great hookah. Great environment. The owner. Tony. Enough said. He takes care of us every time. Never have I met someone that genuine. Come visit everyday. Every weekend. Make it happen. You will regret if you don't come.
(5)
Mike S.
The best service in Philly. There's this one guy his name is Fady very knowledgeable about the art of hookah. Also the food its like im back in Egypt eating at the cafe. You have to try the Starbuzz it the best. Also the mixed grilled platter u get the best of lamb,chicken and beef. And for dessert u have to try the chocolate baklava.
(5)
Greg N.
terrible expirience!! would never order from again!!
(1)
Hammad H.
Awesome place. The food is very authentic! Ask for the Egyptian Kushari dish. The people there are very friendly and accommodating. Service is fast and accurate. The ambience is very nice and reminds me of Egypt.
(5)
George G.
It really bothers me when a place calls themselves a Hookah Lounge and when they bring the hookah out and you notice the coals they use are quick light/ insta light coals... The flavor of the shisha was not all that great because the quick light coals chemicals take away from the flavor. I am a huge hookah smoker at home and lounges so I'm not just talking nonsense. Whenever I'm in Philly again I will try to give this place another chance or check out other hookah lounges/restaurants. NYC/NJ set a pretty high standard for hookah lounges. *Advice to the owners please invest in some Coconut coals and get creative make some unique in house mixes and people will flock to your business. #hookahaddiction The food was ok the chicken in my Shawarma was very dark and the chicken fingers looked like microwaveable strips.
Ducked in here for a quick lunch and loved it. The owner was terrific and the chicken shwarma was totally fabulous. We had to get in and out in kind of a hurry and the owner was extremely accommodating. I wish this place all success as it is a terrific place to have in the neighborhood.
(5)
Lam V.
Awesome people!!! Great food and drinks. I was looking for a relaxing lounge and I found it.
(5)
Sarah P.
I went here for a friend's birthday, and they were accommodating to the amount of people we had. They didn't bring out glasses of water (we were there for dinner) and the bottled water wasn't cheap. There is a $5 corking fee, but the owner waived it for us since we were the only customers on a rainy Monday night. They should hire some real waiters though. The falafel and hookahs were amazing, and are a good reason to come back, but overall the entire place was overpriced for a BYOB hookah bar.
(3)
Allen F.
Warm welcome by waiter. Delicious shwarma and mango juice. Only 2 stars because cbicken gyro rather lean on chicken and vegetables. Seemed about 1/3 size of usual gyro. Chicken color very dark for unclear reasons. Quite a difference from the plump gyro photo in the menu. The waiter never came back to check on us until end of meal.
(2)
Michel Z.
Great hookah, they also have BYOB! You gotta try this place!
(5)
Luigi C.
we gave it another try...simply put...it's not worth it. Portions are very small. Platters are $15-20, hard to believe for a place like this (i.e. small, noisy, a bit dirty). Service sucks..they should hire some serious waiters.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Late Night Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : No Happy Hour : No Best Nights : Wed, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Yes Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Nehal A.
Awesome place to hang out for hookah! Glad i found this place! My Taiwanese friend taught my friends how to blow circles and they got so addicted. I also enjoyed the fish and chips. They were so yummy and my mouth is still watering. They have great music with matching video. Sometimes it's funny and sometimes things look pretty weird. They have belly dancers in those videos dancing to hip hop music.
(5)Caleb A.
This high rating is mainly due to the service which was great. We walked in to hookah at around 11:20 pm (on a weeknight when they close at 12). Not only did they welcome us but said we could stay for an hour even after closing time. We were impressed by how hospitable they were. $5 per person for byob and $15 for hookah for 2 people - we used a yelp check in discount ($5 off) but even without it this place is far less expensive then many of the ritzy center city hookah bars. Definitely check this place out!
(5)Amanda J.
Came in here for hookah for the first time during a spontaneous Philly trip last week, and I'm so glad I did! The service was friendly and attentive, the hookah was great and priced nicely, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Great music. I will definitely be returning.
(5)Rod K.
Very friendly service but I'm upset with the hookah service overall. I'm a big-time hookah person, and know a lot about this stuff. I asked for one al fakher mint hookah, and it arrived promptly. As I said, the owners there are very, very nice, but this is where it all went bad. The hookah tasted like a ton of flavors mixed together. Mint hookahs should have their own hookah and their own hose. I shouldn't be smoking off of a hookah that has gone through a ton of flavors. They also use really cheap coals. I only used two sets of coals on the bowl before it was completely dead. We talked about why the bowl was dead he said I had to get a refill and opened the foil inside the hookah and I saw that it wasn't even fully packed, so I got a refill at $10. I thought it was unfair the way they were serving the hookah. Be weary of these things when going there to smoke hookah. I did not try and of their food so I have no review for that.
(2)Nicole W.
I absolutely enjoyed my experience here and the owner Tony is wonderful. Whenever you're in Philadelphia on South St stop in and have a bite to eat, a long island ice tea and good conversation.
(5)Tara D.
The people who work here were awesome to us and gave us the outdoor area in the back privately. They even marked off our second hookahs after we were there for a while. Fantastic service, perfectly packed hookahs, and attentive servers. We will be back frequently.
(5)Yafa D.
I absolutley love coming to this place. There hookah is fantastic and not over done. It's seriously legit, and the flavors are amazingly smooth. The food was amazing, they are egyptian and definitley know how to make Mediterranean food. There limeade drink is the best, I suggest you try it first! Great customer service!
(5)Chris M.
Best place on south street for a genuinely fun experience. Staff is phenomenally friendly. The owners tony and Mary are the type of people who spend their life investing in a place that THEY would even spend time at. Bring everyone you know to this place if you like amazing hospitality, good music, homemade food, and good hookah.
(5)Juliana M.
EXCELLENT PLACE! There's not many restaurants/bars I've been to where I was actually sad to leave. The service is absolutely great, all the workers are attentive. And compared to other hookah bars this place actually has reasonable prices. Also, the music is top notch! Can't wait to come back
(5)Alex L.
Second time here. And I can honestly say I really enjoy the environment and the hospitality. The owner served us personally and made great recommendations for hookah and food. Great service. Would definitely recommend this place for most inexperienced smokers that need guidance and also the everyday hookaher.
(5)Shili S.
This place is really amazing. We came here for hookah and it is really good. Owners are friendly and fun to talk to. Also we tried lamb shawarma sandwich with french fries, it was delicious. I will recommend it to my friends. Sure I will be back here for more food and hookah.
(5)Elizabeth R.
Mo and Tony were amazing with our seven person group. They were so accommodating. Hookah was great and they replaced coals many times. Thank you!! :)
(5)Andrew S.
Every time i go in i always have a blast with my friends. Friendly owner and great service as always. Love the hookah and they are always great in the weekend to get some food late. I highly recommend saqaara to anyone.
(5)Laura Jill S.
This review is for hookah & service only. On the positive: the hookah was great. Tasty smoke, beautiful hookah. Also, I enjoyed the company I was with, so that helped. But the service & atmosphere...yeah, I won't be going back there. Really strange energy in this place, also we were the only ones there. Just awkward & uncomfortable. We were there smoking our hookah in the window booth & all the guys who worked there were sitting in the back just kind of chilling. Oh, and there was nothing with which to dry my hands in the bathroom. Ick. So, not TOO terrible so far, right? But here's what really pissed me off. They refused to serve us tap water. They would only give us bottled water. Obviously, they wanted to charge us for water, which is tacky. But it really bothered me because I go out of my way to NOT use plastic bottles. If I'd had my big purse, I'd have taken the empty bottles with me to recycle, because I'm sure they were just tossed in the trash. So...thanks for giving a crap about the planet, Saqqara, well done. :-/
(2)Tamim K.
A very nice hookah spot in Philly. The hookahs are always smooth clean and flavorful. You can tell that they really put effort into maximizing your hookah smoking experience. Its also evident how much they care for their customers. GREAT SERVICE! Warm and friendly owners. Excellent prices! If you need a place to chill and smoke hookah and rat great food, I highly recommend this place!
(4)Nevan S.
10 Arabic speaking friends and I met for dinner at Saqqara Cafe to try Adel's (the owner's) homemade kosheri. For those of you who have never tried it kosheri is a traditional Egyptian dish made with rice lentils elbow pasta all covered in a spicy red sauce. Saqqara's version of this dish was wonderful. It hit the mark. Spicy but not overly so. Best of all it was made fresh by Adel for our group. We would all highly recommend a visit to Saqqara cafe and trying this particular dish.
(4)Keri F.
Owner Tony was super friendly. Had a wonderful time. Definitely come here for hookah!
(5)Stephanie O.
If you're looking for a good hookah Cafe then this is your place. It's a cozy spot with A friendly staff. There's a good variety of hookah to choose from including the flavor guava and even the tea is pretty good. I'd recommend this spot to everyone.
(5)Asa C.
Awesome place! Really friendly owners and great service. Nice place to hang out with friends. Definitely would recommend :) great shisha and the owners are very helpful with selecting flavors, making this a weekly treat for sure.
(5)Audrey C.
As others have mentioned, great hospitality, awesome song mix, and good hookah. We called ahead of time and the owner was literally waiting for us at the door. The only area of improvement would be the seating - could be slightly more relaxing and comfortable for hookah. But, they also serve food, which could explain the seating and setting. Would recommend to a friend looking for a hookah spot in Philly.
(5)Donesia D.
Good prices and good flavors. A friend and I just had hookah but it seems to have a huge menu for for food as well. In walking distance and close to other bars.
(5)Nujat N.
The place is nice compare to other in philly. And the price is good too. Friendly owners, good music. Will come back again.
(3)Justin D.
This place is absolutely awesome. Great hookah. Great environment. The owner. Tony. Enough said. He takes care of us every time. Never have I met someone that genuine. Come visit everyday. Every weekend. Make it happen. You will regret if you don't come.
(5)Mike S.
The best service in Philly. There's this one guy his name is Fady very knowledgeable about the art of hookah. Also the food its like im back in Egypt eating at the cafe. You have to try the Starbuzz it the best. Also the mixed grilled platter u get the best of lamb,chicken and beef. And for dessert u have to try the chocolate baklava.
(5)Greg N.
terrible expirience!! would never order from again!!
(1)Hammad H.
Awesome place. The food is very authentic! Ask for the Egyptian Kushari dish. The people there are very friendly and accommodating. Service is fast and accurate. The ambience is very nice and reminds me of Egypt.
(5)George G.
It really bothers me when a place calls themselves a Hookah Lounge and when they bring the hookah out and you notice the coals they use are quick light/ insta light coals... The flavor of the shisha was not all that great because the quick light coals chemicals take away from the flavor. I am a huge hookah smoker at home and lounges so I'm not just talking nonsense. Whenever I'm in Philly again I will try to give this place another chance or check out other hookah lounges/restaurants. NYC/NJ set a pretty high standard for hookah lounges. *Advice to the owners please invest in some Coconut coals and get creative make some unique in house mixes and people will flock to your business. #hookahaddiction The food was ok the chicken in my Shawarma was very dark and the chicken fingers looked like microwaveable strips.
(1)Elisha L.
Me & my friends had a great time smoking hookah & eating great food on my friends birthday. They even let us have a full out Beyoncé party there
(5)Rich T.
Ducked in here for a quick lunch and loved it. The owner was terrific and the chicken shwarma was totally fabulous. We had to get in and out in kind of a hurry and the owner was extremely accommodating. I wish this place all success as it is a terrific place to have in the neighborhood.
(5)Lam V.
Awesome people!!! Great food and drinks. I was looking for a relaxing lounge and I found it.
(5)Sarah P.
I went here for a friend's birthday, and they were accommodating to the amount of people we had. They didn't bring out glasses of water (we were there for dinner) and the bottled water wasn't cheap. There is a $5 corking fee, but the owner waived it for us since we were the only customers on a rainy Monday night. They should hire some real waiters though. The falafel and hookahs were amazing, and are a good reason to come back, but overall the entire place was overpriced for a BYOB hookah bar.
(3)Allen F.
Warm welcome by waiter. Delicious shwarma and mango juice. Only 2 stars because cbicken gyro rather lean on chicken and vegetables. Seemed about 1/3 size of usual gyro. Chicken color very dark for unclear reasons. Quite a difference from the plump gyro photo in the menu. The waiter never came back to check on us until end of meal.
(2)Michel Z.
Great hookah, they also have BYOB! You gotta try this place!
(5)Luigi C.
we gave it another try...simply put...it's not worth it. Portions are very small. Platters are $15-20, hard to believe for a place like this (i.e. small, noisy, a bit dirty). Service sucks..they should hire some serious waiters.
(1)