«Cheap» and «worth it» are not the same word. You can pay less and leave hungry, or pay a little more and have the whole table full with nothing thrown away. So when you look for Egyptian restaurants at a range of prices in Saudi Arabia, the key question is not «which is cheapest?» but how do I get the best value for money?
«Best» here means the best fit for you, your numbers and your appetite. This is not a ranking of restaurants or a price comparison between them, and you will find no numbers in this article: prices change, and their natural place is the menu. What you will find is a way to read any Egyptian menu with an eye for «value».
Value for money in an Egyptian restaurant: what does it mean?
In Egyptian food especially, value is not in one dish but in the whole table. Five things decide it:
- Filling: does the dish come with rice or bread, or will you order them separately?
- Sharing: Egyptian food is made for gatherings, and one large dish shared out can serve you better than many single plates.
- Quality: fresh meat and charcoal grilling make a difference to the taste; read about it in fresh or frozen meat?.
- Clarity: a menu that tells you what is in each dish and what size it is.
- No waste: ordering what you need, not «extra, just in case».
Read the menu with an eye for value
The small words in a dish's description tell you a lot. Examples from Rokn Warda's menu:
| What the menu says | What it means for your wallet |
|---|---|
| «served with rice» | Rice is part of the dish, so you do not need rice on the side. Such as the okra and beef casserole, Dawood Basha kofta, the beef and pearl onion casserole and the chicken and potato casserole |
| «third» and «half» | Choose the size to match your appetite, as with mixed grills, special mixed grills and tarb |
| «with rice» on a mixed dish | A tray with several kinds and rice, such as the Rokn Warda platter |
| «of your choice» | At the salad buffet you choose the vegetables, sauces and pickles you will actually eat |
| Rice and toasted bread in the fatteh description | Fatteh already contains starch, as in beef fatteh |
| Add-ons | With kebab, for example, «extra bread» and «tahini» are add-ons charged separately, and you pick the type of rice from the dish's options |
The best value for money: 6 ways to choose
- Start with your numbers, not the menu. Know how many will eat, how many are really hungry and whether there are children, then open the menu.
- A sharing tray instead of single plates. For a group, a mixed dish in the middle such as the Rokn Warda platter lets everyone taste several kinds, instead of each person ordering a main of their own. For the platter, the mixed grills and their sizes read the Rokn Warda platter: what is in it?.
- Size to match your appetite. The third and the half are not for show; if there are other dishes on the table start with the smaller one and add later if you need to, especially when you are eating at the restaurant.
- Do not double the starch. If the casserole is «served with rice» and the fatteh has rice and bread, you probably do not need an extra dish of rice.
- Salad is the grills' partner. The salad buffet has vegetables, sauces and Egyptian pickles to choose from, and it balances the table next to grills and casseroles.
- Large numbers have another route. For a gathering or food for staff, send your request from the events page: trays of grills, casseroles and home cooking for large numbers, and we agree the details with you.
Mistakes that waste value
- Rice next to a dish that comes with rice. Read the description first.
- The bigger size «just in case». And half the food goes back.
- A main dish each. At an Egyptian table, sharing usually fills you up more and gives more variety.
- Comparing prices and forgetting what is in the dish. A dish that costs a little more but includes rice and several kinds can work out better value than two dishes.
- Forgetting the tax. At Rokn Warda menu prices are before VAT, which is added to the order total and shown on the invoice.
Value at Rokn Warda
Rokn Warda is an Egyptian restaurant in Al Khobar, on Al Yarmouk Street in Al Olaya. We will not tell you we are the cheapest or the best; we will tell you what we consider value:
- Our meat arrives fresh, never frozen, and the grills are over charcoal.
- Every dish is described on the menu with its ingredients, sizes and price.
- A third or a half size for mixed grills, special mixed grills and tarb.
- Dishes for sharing such as the platter, and a salad buffet.
- Offers, when there are any running, are on the offers page.
- Delivery to Al Khobar and Dammam districts from our website, with the available districts shown when you order, and payment on delivery.
If you are choosing an Egyptian restaurant for the family in any city, read the best Egyptian restaurants in Saudi Arabia for families; if you are preparing a gathering, the best Egyptian dishes for family gatherings; and for building a complete delivery order, ordering Egyptian food in Al Khobar and Dammam.
Common questions
Where can I see Rokn Warda's prices? On the menu, next to each dish. Prices there are before VAT, which shows on the invoice.
What is the difference between the third and the half? The half is the larger size. The choice depends on your numbers, your appetite and the other dishes on the table; if you are unsure, ask us before you order.
How many people does the platter feed? That varies from table to table with appetite and the dishes alongside it, so we do not give a number; ask the restaurant when you order.
Are there offers? Offers that are running, if any, are on the offers page.
Why are there no prices in this article? Because prices change, and the one place that is always up to date is the menu. This article is here to teach you to read the menu, not to replace it.
In short
Real value is getting up from the table full and happy without much food left over. Know your numbers, read the description, choose the size and share. Then open the menu and see the prices for yourself.
