09/21/2026
My son & I visited Sanaa's 8th Street Gourmet on a trip to & . I planned our trip around landing in Sioux Falls on a Saturday around lunch time purposely for this visit, as I’d read about Chef Sanaa Abourezk’s restaurateur venture & appearance on Beat Bobby Flay, as well as her late husband James, a US Senator who passionately advocated for underrepresented peoples, including Native Americans and Arabs.
We enjoyed the Saturday lunch buffet & recommend it for anyone wanting to try a variety of Chef Sanaa’s gourmet dishes.
The pita was amazingly fluffy & soft. We are still talking about it 2 days later. The beet hummus was also a standout. The beef kufta was excellent. I enjoyed the eggplant dish, while my son enjoyed the chicken. The salad with pomegranate & red onion was very good, also.
I found several & options, since I tend to lean that way, while my son found plenty of heartier dishes. We were both quite pleased.
The decor was interesting, with Native American & western touches, as well as some local Sioux Falls & Abourezk family highlights. The various light fixtures & plants warmed the interior. The open kitchen concept worked for both the staff’s comfort & visitor’s connection to the eatery. We got the sense that the regulars are now family.
The staff were very friendly yet without hovering. They explained their buffet to us, as we were first timers. Chef Sanaa came to our table to speak with my son who is in culinary classes. She graciously gave him a tour of her kitchen. We were very pleased with everyone there who made our visit special.
Before we left, we purchased an Orange Blossom Special to enjoy later at our hotel. The small pastry with ricotta filling & candied orange was delicious without being cloyingly sweet.
Sanaa’s is in a charming cluster of shops within an ample parking lot. We visited a culinary shop, a record store, & a co-op art gallery, acquiring a small treasure or two from each. I highly recommend making a full afternoon if not entire day of your visit to Sanaa’s.
