On the drive over, I kept having to explain to my date where we were going: It's kind of a restaurant, but it's more like an escape, or a lounge.
Is it a club?
No. Well, maybe at night it's like a clubstaurant.
Is there hookah?
Yes, lots. But there are also these outdoor igloo things with karaoke. They serve Mediterranean food. It's an oasis.
Is it outside?
Some of it. But don't worry I'm sure it won't be hot. It's Milkshake Concepts. They know how to do things.
They have milkshakes?
No.
Saaya calls itself a "Mediterranean Restaurant and Lounge," and "A refuge to escape, indulge and recharge." Other terms include "the exotic familiar ... air of invitation, a seductive vibe ... a chic escape for friends and lovers ... Imagine yourself in ecstatic repose."
No idea.
With the sun starting to set over the restaurant's roof, we walked past a large wall and through the aqua-blue doors. Saaya definitely gives off that oasis feel. Bright tiles mark a winding path past an astroturf courtyard dotted with lounge-like seating and tables with palm tree leaves swaying in the wind from massive fans and misters overhead. A covered patio with Mediterranean-style arches offers shade for al fresco dining. Inside is a mix of lounge seating and a big, U-shaped, slick marble bar with starry lighting overhead. Half of the restaurant is a regular dining room. The servers, all female from what we could see, wear flowing vibrant dresses.
But at 5:30 p.m., there were only two other parties at the space. Our timing was off. Or something.
Alas, there we were on a Friday ready for a cocktail or two. The drink menu was hard to pin down. Usually, I order cocktails quickly, looking for a keyword, scanning ingredients, then moving along. Wasn't so easy to do here. Like the Not Your Habibi, with Ketel One cucumber and mint, St. Germain and lemon, which all sounded good, but the second half of the recipe — yogurt dill, cucumber and sumac — seemed odd.
Saaya has many moods, including bar, lounge, booths and regular dining tables.
Lauren Drewes Daniels
Every drink had something that made me question the end result (cilantro, passionfruit foam). And I can only read a cocktail menu for so long. I ordered an old-fashioned. It was large and refreshing, a generous pour for sure.
The food menu is broken out into cold and hot mezza, which are small dishes that make up the whole meal. Then there is a section of manakeesh and heavier dishes from the grill.
We started with a manakeesh, Lebanese pizza, which we're familiar with from Prince Lebanese Grill in Arlington. There, it's called thyme pie and is a large round flatbread layered thick with a zatar herb mix, vibrant with cumin and coriander. Here, the cheese manakeesh is served with akawi cheese (a bit like mozzarella) and mozzarella, nigella seeds and olive oil. While tasty, it was simpler and smaller than expected, although it delivered well on gooey-ness. But at $14, we expected more.
Only teased by the idea of food at this point, next we went with something a bit more substantial: a plate of beef shawarma ($15) with lavash (thin flatbread), tomatoes, pickled turnips, cucumber, garlic aioli, tzatziki and sumac fries. The wrap was very good, with tender beef and tangy vegetables all nestled in a toasty warm lavash. A grayish condiment was hard to identify and didn't really have much of a flavor. But those sumac fries were amazing. For the price point, this was a good meal.
The service here was prompt. Our server was more than accommodating and seemed intent on making it a great visit.
After our two plates and drinks, we left. We wondered where the party was. Felt like we were four hours early. Probably were. But how can we be in bed watching Bob's Burgers at 10 p.m. if we're in Deep Ellum? Perhaps we're not their target audience.
There was the standard 3% "commodity fee" that Milkshake Concepts applies to checks at all of their restaurants. We called and emailed asking what the fee goes towards and got no response. At the time we didn't notice it because we paid on a handheld device. We saw it on the receipt later. There's no mention of the fee on the menu.
At this point, with the drink menu, early dinner and complaining about a fee, it just feels like the "Becoming Your Parents" series of insurance commercials. How does a restaurant make one feel so old?
For a late-night party, Saaya is likely a fun place to hang out. For an after-work drink or early dinner, not so much. For Mediterranean food, it's decent, but there are a lot of great options around North Texas and we wouldn't go back here for that alone.
Saaya, 2511 Swiss Ave. Tuesday – Thursday, 4–11 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. – 1 a.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. – 1 a.m.; Sunday, 2–11 p.m. Closed Monday.
