by stephanie w.
On a recent visit to San Antonio, my mother and her fiance recommended this place as a late night hang out spot. Upon arriving, it was apparent that my mother and her dude are regulars here as the waitress appeared to both know them when we all walked in. The atmosphere was very nice...open and airy, large tables for groups with huge pillows to lounge on, large outdoor seating area, and soon to be an upstairs lounge area which is currently being renovated. We had all just come from fourth of July dinner, and no one was really interested in eating; however, we were all in the mood for desert. I ordered the baklava and was HIGHLY disappointed. This baklava was like no other I have had before. I can't even really say what about it I did not like, it just had a strange taste to it overall. I only took a few bites and politely said I was too full from dinner to eat anything more. I ordered a carafe of cardamom tea which was totally delicious. My family members ordered some orange blossom chai tea which was also very tasty. The prices on the tea were reasonable since they give you enough to serve about 4-6 people. We also decided to try the hookah to see if that was any good. The price was reasonable as we only spent $10 for our blackberry shisha. The waitress who helped us informed us she is also some sort of shisha master (which I had no idea existed) and that she could make us some sort of awesome specialty blend for only a few dollars more. As no one was feeling especially adventurous this evening, we decided to keep it simple. The hookah was good; however, our coals kept going out for some reason and the "coal attendant" was too busy smoking his own blend to really notice us. I kept having to wave him over to help us. Other than that, the service was quite exceptional as everything came out promptly and the staff was super friendly. Naara Cafe is owned by the same people who own Pasha Cafe, which is in the same plaza. The plaza is filled with Mediterranean owned shops and even a little specialty grocery store. This is definitely a cool place to come and hang out with friends on a nice cool evening. I will come back the next time I am home!
by Rasool K.
I visited naara on my trip down from Colorado. I had the zaatar bread, hummus, and gyro plate.... it was excellent! The music was chill and the service was good. I did not smoke the hookah but it seemed to be a popular. I will be back for sure on my next visit!
