Two of the most beloved restaurants among college students in New Orleans are Shaya and Saba. It’s nearly impossible to score a reservation for parents weekend or a normal weekend, which adds to the appeal. Located on the same street about a mile apart, Shaya and Saba are both Israeli restaurants that attract huge crowds. From the outside, Shaya almost looks like a hole-in-the-wall, but once you step inside you find a beautiful dining room and outdoor seating. Saba, on the other hand, immediately feels welcoming, with a huge outdoor space on Magazine Street and a gorgeous bar with plenty of seating. When people are trying to decide where to make a reservation, the big question is always: which one should you choose?
Images via Trip Advisor & Saba Website
While the two restaurants serve very similar food with similar recipes, they are no longer owned by the same person. Shaya was Alon Shaya’s first restaurant and quickly became known for its high-quality Israeli cuisine. However, in September 2017 Chef Shaya parted ways with the Besh Restaurant Group, which owned Shaya. In May of 2018 he opened Saba, meaning grandfather in Hebrew, with the goal of elevating and improving the food people love from Shaya. Rather than make the restaurants completely different with separate menus he focused on refining and improving the dishes at Saba.
Shaya is famous for its hummus topped with meat and vegetables along with their redefining pita. Saba takes a lot of influence from Louisiana having dishes topped with seafood and a fried oyster po’boy. Alon Shaya also wanted to upgrade the pita experience so he put a wood burning oven in the middle of the dining room. At both restaurants, you get the feeling of endless pita service. Once you finish one, another magically appears at the table.
Image via Alexis Cohen
Now jumping into my personal opinions. Starting with the hummus, which is arguably the most important part of a meal at these restaurants. Both restaurants have the Tahini Hummus and Lamb Ragu hummus, while they may taste slightly different, they are very similar options. Shaya features hummus with meat like the Fried Chicken Hummus and the Blackened Shrimp Hummus on Fridays. They also have vegetable options like the Mushroom Hummus and Cauliflower Hummus. My favorite being the Fried Chicken Hummus, which has a date salsa verde on top that is to die for. You can ask for grilled chicken if that’s more your vibe, but this hummus is the best I’ve ever had in my life. The Mushroom Hummus was also incredible with sage-brown butter on top paired with their fresh hot pita. Saba, on the other hand, features more Louisiana classics like the Blue Crab Hummus. Personally, it seems a little too decadent for me so I haven’t tried it. I did try their Brussel Sprout Hummus, which was good, but since I’m not the biggest fan of brussel sprouts, it wasn’t my thing. Overall, if you’re going specifically for hummus as your meal, I would definitely recommend Shaya. I’ve tried a bunch of their hummuses and every time I’m happily surprised. At the end of the day the base of their hummuses are very similar so it really depends on what you’re in the mood for!
Image via Alexis Cohen
Moving onto small plates, which are essentially appetizers at these restaurants. Shaya has some Israeli classics like Israeli Salad and Falafel. They offer two salads and a couple meat dishes like a Lamb Kebab and Sujuk Pide, which is Armenian spiced beef. I personally haven’t ordered any of the small plates at Shaya because none of them really caught my eye. Saba’s small plates, however, are really awesome. They also have a Falafel dish, salad, and lamb, but they include dishes like Burrata Toast and Salmon Tartare. The Salmon Tartare is sushi-grade salmon served with toasted challah, and the portion doesn’t feel “small.” If you’re just going out for appetizers and drinks, I would definitely recommend Saba.
Image via Alexis Cohen
Now onto the large plates. Shaya and Saba feature some very similar options, but the preparation and flavors vary. At Shaya, you can choose from Lamb Shank, Chicken Leg and Thigh, Hanger Steak, Gulf Shrimp, and Salmon. The Lamb Shank literally falls off the bone and is served with tabouleh, which is a light salad with bulgar wheat. As someone who doesn’t usually love lamb, this dish was incredible. The Chicken Leg and Thigh served with rice, are also super good and a good portion size. My favorite large plate at Shaya is the Bakkafrost Salmon. The salmon portion is slightly smaller with a larger serving of couscous, but the flavors are amazing. Saba features dishes like Charred Cabbage, Roasted Chicken, Lamb Chops, Grilled Salmon, Strip Steak, and Red Snapper. The Charred Cabbage is a great vegetarian option that Shaya doesn’t offer. The Strip Steak makes you feel like you’re sitting in a steakhouse, it’s that good. Lastly, the Grilled Salmon was the best salmon I’ve ever had. The flavors were incredible and the confit tomatoes (which I don’t usually like) were surprisingly delicious. All in all, for large plates I would probably go with Saba, but again it really depends what you’re in the mood for.
Image via Alexis Cohen
Lastly, we have to talk about dessert. Shaya has four desserts, all with different flavors and textures for whatever you’re feeling. They offer Cardamom Chocolate Tart, Chocolate Tahini Mousse, Cheesecake, and gelato. I’ve only tried the chocolate tart, and it had some interesting flavors that I don’t think I’ve ever tried before so it caught me a little off guard. I would be interested in trying the Chocolate Tahini Mousse next time! Saba, on the other hand, has a much larger dessert menu including Malabi, Cheesecake, Hazelnut Chocolate Pudding, Baklava, Babka King Cake, Cookie Tin, and gelato. When I was presented with this menu I wanted to order every single thing. I limited myself to only one so I got the Cookie Tin which had five different cookies all with different flavors. Every single one was incredible. So when it comes to dessert, I’d definitely go with Saba.
While I tend to order from Shaya more often because I love their hummus, for a great overall meal and experience I would have to choose Saba. Just as Chef Alon Shaya intended, the dishes feel refined and continually improved, creating a slightly more elevated dining experience.
