Ali Baba of West Side
“Next time will try the shawarma and other things on the Manu, it feels like you can not go wrong with any pick.”
“If you are out late night in the UWS and have had a few drinks, stop by here before heading home for a late night snack!”
“In this day when everything is a froyo joint, a local shop thats been there serving Yemen falafel for 32 years is something special.”
Ali Baba of West Side
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
4 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Falafel good…!
The owner is amazing; the store has a cozy little feel to it, with Jewish decorations marking the hours of Shabbat. He let me try a falafel before I bought the sandwich, and the falafel is crisp, and very light. He does life coaching as well, and was in the middle of a session when I walked in. The food is made fresh to order, and comes in a pita or a lafah which is just the bigger version of it. I ordered my favorite classic falafel sandwich, and it beats Maoz for sure. Still on my falafel journey!
I visited last night while on the West Side. I ordered mujaddara and a falafel. The falafel was tasty, with ample salads and sauces stuffed into the soft whole wheat pita. The main disappointment was the mujaddara. This dish is supposed to be dark, with a rich flavor, and accompanied by copious amounts of fried, sweet onions. It was probably my fault for ordering a Levantine dish in a place owned by an Israeli Yemenite. The dish was loaded with carrots and was very scant on lentils, and a small container was over six dollars; there was about 35 cents worth of food in that container, if that. It wasn't well-seasoned at all, and was bland, without any of the flavor one associated with mujaddara. No flavor of allspice, cumin, turmeric, or anything in this disappointment of a dish. The owner is involved in Jewish educational and religious outreach, and I ended up sitting with a table of strangers family-style, and we talked politics, torah, and Israel at the table, similar to the way any Jewish family would. This reminded me that in this hole-in-the-wall, all of us are family, eternally bound to one another. I'd return and order just the falafel sandwich, as the mujaddara was bland and overpriced. In addition, my Prigat was also pricey. However, the work the owner does to bring Jews together and to expose non-Orthodox Jews to the beauty of the Jewish religion is amazing, and I'd support this establishment for that reason.
I should have trusted my gut. When i said 'hello' and the lady snarled back at me, I should have known. But I was hungry. Maybe i look like an ex. Maybe I am wearing all black and it reminds her of a bad dream she must have had last night. Perhaps, my essential oil gives her daddy issues. Whatever the cause, giving me the worse food imaginable is not justifiable. The kibbeh was a soft spongy dust bunny of edible fiber. The lamb inside, if it was lamb, is not ground. Oh goodness, this empty joint decided, as a last minute attempt at bolstering business, to skim through the Sweeny Todd Meat Pie Cookbook. Sorry! The "meat" inside is still unflavored and chewy. You cannot use Mets fans because we are still hungry for a winner!!
This kufta sandwich is inedible. The ground beef was frozen! I watched this wicked lady place the lump of disappointment onto the grill. The outside pastry was warm. If I would have broken a tooth, she would have lost a storefront window.
I guess she did not put a fork in it to see if it was done. Well 'fork you' Ali Baba! You are so done that the coat check is in another state. Get to steppin'!