Falafella’s
“It's a small store front where you order and wait (all while standing outside), so everything is take-out.”
“Falafellas is the gold standard for chicken shawarmas as well as falafels in the Times Square area.”
“Quick and easy pickup fro the street window and you get a stuffed shwarma, complete with awesome glass-bottle Coke and delicious curly fries.”
Falafella’s
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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There's something to be said for street food that isn't actually on the street. This is basically the food that a lot of carts sell, but the sharmwa is so good here. It's a little to-go counter so it's the perfect stop for lunch especially during the warmer months when you can find a bench to take it outside. Everything is fresh and the meat is perfectly food with just the right blend of spices. Some of the best food I've eaten in this town has also cost the least and this is one of them.
so i had a falafel craving hit me during lunch time at work. yelp led me through the sea of midtown lunch abundance to this place. yes, it is basically a hut no seating anywhere, but boy did the falafel hit the spot! had great seasoning and was fried to a perfect golden crispy brown. i also ordered a schwarma bowl, which had very generous portions. i really enjoyed the green hot sauce here, and will definitely ask for extra next time i visit. literally the only reason i did not give this place 5 stars was the hummus that came with the bowl… it could've been smoother with better seasoning. overall affordable with quick and efficient service, oh and they have CURLY FRIES!
This particular joint is literally a hole-in-the-wall, essentially a small extension of the much larger rotisserie chicken place next door.
Do not, however, be discouraged by the size of this establishment. Falafellas is the gold standard for chicken shawarmas as well as falafels in the Times Square area. You may be thinking that small here is synonymous with street cart quality, but that certainly is not the case with "Fellas." In general, the food is simple but fresh and is at least one or two levels above the best street cart in the area.
My usual is the chicken shawarma pita ($7), which I customarily accompany with the optional stir fried eggplant ($1). While it appears to be small, the pita you receive is filled to the brim and quite filling. My even hungrier coworkers opt for the huge $9 platter, which includes hummus, pita, chicken or falafel, and salad. At times, they will also get the roughly $3 side of falafel balls. While not as dense as more costly places, they are still tasty and worth it if you are especially hungry.
If you are new to the area, this establishment should be your go-to place for a large bite with a Middle Eastern flair to bring back home or to work.
Falafels have penetrated much of Manhattan and into our Manhattan collective diets. There are an abundance of choice as far as lunch options go in Midtown, and Falafellas is flanked by Go-Go Curry, and $1 Roll & Go Pizza. Here's why Falafellas earns 3.6/5.0
I stopped by in the early evening to an empty storefront, it's basically a shack with a canopy to allow customers to put in their orders and take to-go while being sheltered from the elements, which is a nice touch in the winter. I've seen them have a line during the summer lunch hours.
Opted for the falafel pita of which they offered Shawarma pitas and platters, as well. The order took what seemed like awhile (5 minutes), as can be expected if they're frying their falafels on-demand.
The pita sandwich was huge, especially within its foil wrapper and appeared sufficiently stocked with falafel, though upon the first few bites, it was clear that this wasn't the case. The fried balls of chickpea, seemed fried to perfection as they were browned well, but fell apart even though the seasoning was there. After chomping down on half the sandwich, the rest was filled with lettuce. Although I understand that that's what it entails, the falafel to salad ratio didn't seem correct and they were not spread evenly, and this is a shame. (You try chomping on a lettuce sandwich! Right?) If they worked harder on the product of which their name is based, they might have a shot at contending for top five falafel houses in the city.
They offered cardamom tea, a spicy aromatic tea that goes well with this and it was complimentary with purchase. Score!
Overall, customer service was good and the falafels can be improved, however i may have caught them on an off-night as the flavor was there but the consistency was not. We shall see.
Craving some falafel, pleasantly suprised to find this little spot directly across from my hotel. This place is literally a hole in the wall, but the falafel is pretty great! The brothers running the establishment are warm and welcoming, a rarity in my experience in NYC. The I opted for the falafel on a whole wheat pita with the curly fries. The sandwich was good, toppings fresh and falafel was moist and not grainy. The real standout to me however was the curly fries. Their fries are the perfect compliment to the delicious sandwich. Definitely add this place to your list if you're looking for a quick lunch spot.
I was walking home from work one day, tired and not looking forward to cooking dinner and saw a sign that said "free falafel if you like or check in on yelp." I stopped in my tracks, intrigued because this place was new on my street and giving out free food. I was expecting a few balls of falafel and they ended up giving me an ENTIRE sandwich for free! So nice! The falafel is fresh, and the pita also included lettuce, tomato, pickles, and tahini sauce. It was delicious and I will definitely be back! The guys who work here are so nice and trying to promote their new business- definitely stop by!
It's literally a hole in the wall, there is no seating.
I got a falafel pita with eggplant fries for under $7. Falafel was sooo crispy and the pickles inside the pita were perfectly pickled. Eggplant fries kind of got lost in the pita, but they were still good.
They even gave me complimentary cardamom tea. Not my favorite but still a nice gesture.
My new go-to spot for lunch. So happy I discovered this place!
Although my Chicken Schwarma Pita was gigantic, and reasonably priced, it was incredibly bland. Although there was a a lot of chicken, hummus, pickles, hot sauce, lettuce and tomato, everything was just indistinct, unseasoned, and flavorless. There was no zestiness or herbaciousness, just grease. A total disappointment all around.