Falafel places in New York that are worth the wait
Want something fast, cheap, and tasty? Look no further than the falafel joints that seem to be popping up on every block.
Falafel made its way to New York in the early 1970s, and it's most often found as a sandwich -- wedged inside a pita with lettuce, tomato and tahini, a sesame-based sauce. There's a lot of room for soggy, flavorless falafel on these streets, but here are our picks for some of the best.
Pita Joe It's been open for less than two months, but this falafel and schnitzel joint has already gained a following among Middle Eastern food lovers.
Joe's only uses organic chick peas, flour and eggs for its falafel and its homemade pita, and the restaurant's to-go packaging is 80 percent recyclable and biodegradable.
Pita Joe's falafel is less greasy than most, and its spotless décor will actually make you want to sit down for a while. (Falafel sandwich: $6; 2 West 14th St.; 212-627-7877)
Taïm On a quiet block off Seventh Avenue, this West Village gem sets a high standard for falafel.Taïm offers a trio of flavors: the traditional green, made with parsley, cilantro and mint; roasted red pepper; and harissa, seasoned with slightly hot Tunisian spices.
Pony up for the mixed platter to taste all three crisp, nutty flavors, and wash them down with a fresh fruit smoothie. (Sandwich: $5; Mixed Platter: $9.50; 222 Waverly Place; 212-691-1287)
Sam's Falafel House The awning outside is almost as big as this hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but the late hours and super-spicy hot sauce have made Sam's a favorite of NYU students wandering around after a night of drinking.
The falafel sandwich is packed with toppings (sometimes to the point that the pita tears), the hummus is fresh, and the service is always friendly. (Sandwich: $2; 231 Thomson Street)
Pick-A-Pita This Midtown restaurant has captured a loyal Garment District following at lunchtime.
It gets crowded, but it's worth the wait: the falafel is crisp on the outside and soft within, and the thick, fresh and fluffy pita is stuffed to the brim with toppings. (Sandwich: $5; 607 8th Ave; 212-730-7482)
Mamoun's Falafel Mamoun's has become a falafel legend since its Greenwich Village store opened in 1971.
The lunchtime line stretches out the door, but the pros at Mamoun's keep it moving, and in no time you'll be eating the most delicious $2.50 sandwich you ever dreamed of.
Shell out an extra 50 cents for the smooth, homemade hummus and find a spot to chow down on some nearby brownstone steps.
Mamoun's also has a location on St. Marks, but there's nothing like the original. (Sandwich: $2.50; 119 MacDougal Street; 212-674-8685)
Maoz Vegetarian This European chain invites customers to "Veg out" with its self-service salad bar, allowing customers to top their falafel as they please, with olives, pickled eggplant, cauliflower, couscous and more.
Customization continues with a choice of the regular size (five falafels) or the junior (three) on white or wheat pita, and you can opt for the meal deal with Belgian fries and a drink. (Regular Falafel: $4.95, Junior: $4.25; 38 Union Square East; 59 East 8th Street; 2047 Broadway)
Variations on a falafel Falafal has been a staple of the Middle Eastern diet for centuries, but just how long ago and where it originated is a widely contested topic.
One common theory credits its invention to the Egyptian Copts about a thousand years ago; another argues that falafel was a staple of the Indian diet as far back as 600 A.D.
With that kind of controversy there was bound to be a few variations on the basic theme. Here are a few falafel facts:
In Egypt, the falafel is made using fava beans, rather than chickpeas.
In Israel, chickpeas are the exclusive legumea because a genetic disease among Mediterranean Jews caused allergies to fava beans .
In many Arab countries , falafel is served on khubz, a thick flatbread.
In Syria and Lebanon , falafel is commonly dressed with pickled turnip and cucumber.
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